The Lion King Legacies - Book Two: The Tremors
by Haradion
Summary: The sequel to The Flood. The death of Sekmet at the paws of Danyal has struck a crippling blow to the Shai'tan. But at a terrible price. The Pride is scattered. Sara and Inti are prisoners in Golgorath. Kiava and Zuri, flee deeper into the jungle and Rafiki is nowhere to be found. And now strange new creatures walk in the Pridelands. Lions... unlike any the Pride has ever seen...
1. Prologue - Down in the Jungle Deep

**THE LION KING - LEGACIES:**

**Book 2 - The Tremors**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:**

**THIS IS A PIECE OF FANFICTION.**

**CHARACTERS, PLACES AND EVENTS THAT APPEAR IN THE LION KING, THE LION KING 2, THE LION KING 1½ AND THE LION KING SNA, ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF DISNEY AND AFFILIATED COMPANIES.**

**ORIGINAL CHARACTERS AND EVENTS ARE MY OWN INTERLECTUAL PROPERTY.**

**IF YOU CONSIDER THIS INTERLECTUAL THAT IS.**

**"Welcome people, to the second installment of the exciting new Series: The Lion King – Legacies.**

**Please note: if you have not yet read "Lion King: Judgment", or the Lion King Legacies – Flood, please do so, viewable in my profile. Characters introduced in Judgement and in Flood make appearances here, and it is essential that you have read the first story beforehand.**

**This story is part 2 of what will eventually become a five part epic. This is, I am anticipating, the hardest book to write – because, following the events of the previous book, the characters are scattered across the plains of Africa – new characters are appearing, and dozens of subplots will appear and need resolving. I am anticipating this to become the most complicated and convoluted of the series – however I urge you – to try to struggle through it. If you can keep all the characters straight, and follow the three different viewpoints at the same time, you will enjoy yourself.**

**If you have difficulties, drop a question by in a PM, or one the Forum.**

**As ever all questions, comments, etc are welcome in the reviews section, or in the PM. I love to hear predictions, comments, fan-art etc, so please send it all in!**

**A Special Thank you to JJZ-109, Chu10, and "The Gang" on TLKA Boards, for their patience. And now – without further ado, and without me putting it off for any longer…**

**Here… we… go.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Prologue: Down in the Jungle Deep**

* * *

The Plains of Africa are a vast expanse of grassland, woodland, jungle, desert and mountain. From the peaks of Kilimanjaro to the desert sands of the Great Desert. The Jewel of Africa is the Pridelands – a lush and rich land of plenty. Prey and Predator live – if not in perfect harmony then in perfect balance. The balance is referred to as the circle. The Great Circle of Life. The connecting force that binds all creation together. All things are dust. And to dust all things return. Life. Death. Rebirth. The endless cycle in a potentially violent world, that is often cut short. And whatever one's place in the world, all are equal in the circle. It is the knowledge and understanding of this balance that gives the rulers of these lands the wisdom to rule justly, the power to live happily, and the courage to defend oneself and all they hold dear.

Some things in the world are not in balance. Some things are wicked. Some are twisted and dark and defy the circle. Some are full of bitterness and hate. They must be fought.

That is the task of the Lion King. To defend the circle – and so protect the balance that connects all of their subjects. From the Lion to the Ant, from the hornbill to the alligator. That is why the strongest of all creatures rules. The Lion does not take the crown, because it is powerful – it is granted the crown, so it may use its power for the benefit of all who live under it – and even the wearer is located under it.

So things have been for centuries.

But no longer...

Kiava ran as fast he could, running as fast as his four paws would carry him. His side was aching now. That comforted him. The lancing stabs of agony that had pierced him earlier had faded to a dull twitch. He pushed it out of his mind. He could not be concerned with it. Behind him, never staying out of sight was another shape.

Kiava eventually pulled up short. He was panting heavily, but could not keep such a speed up for long. Lions were sprinters – not long distance runners. They could put on bursts of lightning speed, but only for a short while. And now the cub was tiring. He leaned on a branch of wood nearby. Behind him, Zuri caught up.

The female cub was lighter on her feet, and sleeker, but even she was showing signs of fatigue. She gulped down the air as if it were water.

"You think we have lost them?" Zuri asked her friend. Kiava shook his head.

"No. They'll be back. But we have put some distance between us for now... we should be safe for the time being..." He said. Zuri nodded.

"Are you sure?" She asked, letting a tinge of fear seep into her voice. Kiava looked at her and shrugged.

"No. I don't have a clue. But I can't run any more so I pray to the Kings I am right... We won't get any further today..." He said. Zuri let out a sigh and crashed to the ground in exhaustion.

"Ouch... my paws are aching so badly..." She moaned, rubbing them together. Kiava sang to the ground and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pounding of his own heart. He was still on the adrenaline.

"Do you think out parents are alright?" He asked Zuri. Zuri looked away.

"I... I don't know... I didn't see them. But I heard fighting... and I smelt blood. Lion blood..." She told him. Kiava nodded. He did not remember much from earlier. He had been half blinded by the pain in his side where his wound had burst open to have noticed much. All he remembered was the stunning realisation of the significance of the wound.

"How is it?" Zuri asked him, the wound... Zuri looked at it now with apprehension. It looked shallow. A thin line across his side – barely visible underneath his short fur. It was an illusion. It still made her shudder to think back to what it had looked like a few hours ago – when it had burst with red light. It had been swollen and blacked – almost infected. Dripping in puss and clotted blood that had made her stomach churn. Now it was made of the half formed scar tissue characteristic of wound almost a week old. It had healed five says in less than five hours. She didn't understand it. But she knew – like Kiava – the dreadful true cost of the wound.

Kiava was cursed. And the curse was connected to the wound. It was like a beacon. A Fire in the night – a shimmer in a dull desert. Through dark magic and witchcraft, the Shai'tan – terrible conquerors from the eastern continent – had created a magical way to track the young prince across half of Africa. They had heard it from the lips of their own hunters. It had scared Zuri. For Kiava it was worse.

"It feels okay now..." Kiava replied. He sighed.

"Where are we?" He asked her – as if she had any clue. She shook her head.

"Somewhere deeper in the Jungle..." That was true enough. The branches of leaves twisted and turned above their heads so tightly, that they could not even clearly see the sun, bathing the air in a sickly green light by day, and blotting out the stars and moon by night – bar in a few places. Thinking of the stars made Kiava think about his parents – as they always did.

"They always said you would be there... Looking down upon me from the heavens above..." He muttered. "If you are up there... help me... Mum... Dad..." he whispered. What would his parents have thought of him? They would have called him reckless. Impulsive. Foolish. He had been an idiot – running as he had. But all he had thought of doing was getting as far away from those he loved as he could... Because if the Shai'tan had a method of tracking him... even a cub could see what it meant. It meant that anyone he stayed with was in danger. Aunt Vitani. Sara, Inti, Almasi, Damu... Danyal... Their survival depended on being able to escape – upon being able to slip out of the Shai'tan's notice and to survive until they could take back their homes. But how could they survive the inferno if the Prince drew the flames towards them?

He vaguely remembered trying to explain as much to Zuri – in short gasps of pain, and in the little time they had for communication. She had refused to leave him – and he would have fainted from the pain three times were it not for her, so they had ended up together.

They were a pair of cubs – driven into exile, far from their family and their homes, with the might of an Empire bearing down upon them. So the two of them did the only thing they could do.

They ran. Deeper into the Jungle.


	2. Chapter 1 - Choices of Princess Vitani

**"Morning all. Here is Chapter 1 of the next book of The Lion King Legacies.**

**Something to note: At the end of the Last book, there were many comments from people who noticed the similarity of the final Chapters, and the Breaking of the Fellowship, from the Lord of the Rings. No, you didn't imagine them – I was indeed inspired by that incredible piece of narrative. What surprised me most was the amount of enthusiasm there was for the chapter – despite the clear parallels. Well, I happy to say that there will continue to be some parallels between some characters. However, I also want to let you know now, that – whilst there will be inspiration from great Fantasy works appearing in this Book – it is entirely its own story, and this will become more prevalent. I needed a way to break up the party (In itself a Fantasy Cliché) and such a battle seemed like a good idea at the time. (Story of my life).**

**You will be pleased to know, that the plot will begin to deviate from the Lord of the Rings considerably – so just because you think you know where things are going, beware – no one is safe. There will be just as many twists and turns along the way as there were in Judgement.**

**Anyway, the only significant change this time is that I am actually trying to _plot_ the novel beforehand – using a proper chapter-by-chapter outline…**

**We'll see if it works or not…**

**Anyway. Here is the next chapter**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Choices of Princess Vitani

* * *

It was amazing how soon after noise of battle ceased, the sounds of chaos dissented and the stain of battle lifted, that the jungle reverted back to its natural, tranquil state.

Barley a day after the battle and the jungle was once again a beautiful and peaceful place. Except, as ever, for a few telling signs. A few scars. The green, lush, foliage was disturbed in places. There were jagged lines, carved into the very rocks from where claws had scratched the hard surface. The stench of blood and the smell of death still filled the air – attracting carrion from all over. Such odors were all too familiar in recent months. Even so, now a strange clam had descended upon the jungle that seemed… almost _insulting_ to Vitani.

So much pain and sadness had resulted from the evils that had taken place there – in already it seemed to be less than a memory, for the old Jungle.

The Princess Regent, Vitani was considered the pinnacle of a lioness, by envious peers and… perturbed prey alike. She was agile, strong, courageous and intelligent. She was compassionate in her way also. Even so, she had never in her life felt more useless, or more at fault.

She paced through the jungle, seething with anger. Her anger directed at every grub, every blade of grass. It was the seething anger that came as a result of powerlessness. It is the nature of her people – no, of all species – to attempt to control the forces around them. Both to dominate and to preserve. This was clear - to defend oneself, one must have control of the aggressor – that is only natural and it was the inability to take control, the inability to _act _that lead to the one thing all creatures faced. Death.

So when Vitani was so powerless, it frightened her.

And she was powerless now. She arrived at her destination. There was a pool of water. Silently, she knelt down, took a few quick sips, and then set about her task. She took the shattered half a large shell. A gourd? Some other nut? She didn't recognize it, and had carved the fruit out as soon as she had found it – but that was not where its value lied. Where its value lied, as in the hard – and more importantly, waterproof – outer shell. She slid the shell into the water, and it filled up with the cool, colorless liquid. She withdrew it, and the water was retained. Now she began the delicate balancing act of holding the shell in between her teeth, without breaking it, and keeping it level, to preserve the water in the shell. She didn't dare look at the bloody mass of broken bone and flesh next to the water hole – if she could she would have walked the short distance to one of the other pools – but the chance of spilling the precious liquid was too great to justify taking the extra time, and risking spilling it. So she ignored it.

The rest of the Jungle did not. Already the carcass smelled of rot. Buzzards circled high above it. The carrion had taken their fill – the other creatures, who might have hoped for a free meal had not touched it.

Vitani was not surprised. The bloody mess was almost unrecognizable, after being left for the vultures and buzzards, all distinguishing parts had been savaged. Eyes, sides, stomach and other organs had been snatched up almost instantly, leaving the creature staring into space with empty eye sockets. Vitani had not allowed any creature to bury the poor thing. She had roared at anyone who had approached – save for those that might hasten its decomposition. No final rest for this thing. No peaceful sleep in the dark, cool ground. It would be left to rot. To give back its flesh to the land it had in life terrorized.

The creature was Shai'tan. _Sekmet _by name. She was (or rather had been) a tigress. _The Lady of Golgorath_ some had called her. She was no lady in her opinion – rather a depraved murderess and butcher. She had taken part in the genocides of various herds and later the almost complete annihilation the Pride. She had helped massacre the pride. She had ruled the Pridelands with an iron paw. Worse – upon learning of the survival of the heir to the throne – she had lead a hunt with the sole intension of killing an innocent cub. Such crimes were unforgivable to Vitani – especially when concerning her own family.

The fell-mistress had died – not at the claws of some great warrior, or at the behest of some great Lord of Beasts. Nor of old age, or of any natural death. She had been defeated, only when pulled from the edge of the cliff high above them and she had landed upon the sharp stakes of solid stone below.

Worse, even then she had not died initially, she had survived the fall long enough to experience almost three whole minutes of agony, with a pillar of rock puncturing her through and through, stabbing her through the chest. Only then, at long last, had she died; her screams and curses becoming sobs and whimpers. Vitani had done little to ease her passing – in fact Vitani took some satisfaction in knowing that before she had died – however briefly, the tigress had been reduced to a crying wreak – the monster transformed into something little more than a cub, fearing the wrath of her father upon the discovery of some mischief.

In another time… or in another place, Vitani might have pitied the wretched thing as it lay dying, those three short minutes seemingly extending into hours as life slipped away from her. But that was before the destruction of her home, and all she had held dear. Such events had hardened her already cynical approach to life. That was the first reason she had felt no remorse for the passing of the Lady of Golgorath.

The second was where she was returning.

It was a small cave – unnoticed by much of the wildlife and nondescript. Little more than a hovel. Inside, her friends rested. Damu was lying on her side, as Almasi applied some crushed herbs to her various wounds. They were shallow – but painful and weakening, and often prone to infection. The herbs would not heal the injuries but would keep them clean of the blackrot as they healed themselves. She was pale faced and her eyes were red from weeping. Almasi on the other paw was like a statue. She was grey, gaunt and her eyes always seemed glazed – as if looking at something far away. Vitani didn't need to ask why. In the same battle where Damu had received her injuries, Almasi's twin cubs had been snatched away by a threesome of Wilddogs – presumably under the misconception that one or the other of them was the crown prince. The knowledge that they were not, was of little comfort to Vitani. Should their identities be discovered, they would be of no further use to the Wilddogs – who would have no qualms about cutting the cubs throats. And yet… they were powerless. They could not pursue after the cubs. They were waiting for Vitani to make the decision – she knew that. But she also knew what her heart told her, and what her duty commanded, were in conflict.

And there were other complications.

The Prince had fled – again, working on guesswork, she assumed to draw danger away for the others. That would have been so like her brother, and Kiava acted like her brother in many ways.

But there was one more victim in the cave.

Danyal.

Vitani could see his form in the back, out of the sunlight and in the shade. His body was broken – but every now and then, his chest would rise and fall. A faint movement would flicker under his eyelids; his paws give a slight twitch.

The youth – despite and because of his injuries - was unconscious. Vitani was glad of this, because his wounds could only be described as horrific. She had counted each and every one of them. Deep puncture wounds to the stomach, from a claw thrust. There were lacerations to the face and side. Bite marks around the lower left. Deep slashes into his forearms. A huge, deep gouge on his back behind his shoulders, and a horrific compound break at his right forearm. She had reset the bone, and the lioness had covered the deepest wounds with leaves lathered in the herbs Damu was using.

But he had yet to regain conscious.

By laying out the problems, one after the other, Vitani hoped she could gain new insight, but she was completely lost. Her decisions would dictate so many lives – and each moment she delayed made the situation worse – because each moment she wasted increased the risk that one, two, or all three of her charges would die.

The twins, Sara and Inti, needed rescuing – if they were not already dead. They needed to retrieve Kiava, who had run in the opposite direction – worse, the body of the unloving creature, Bane, was unaccounted for – and it was unlikely it had been retrieved by a fellow Wilddog. More likely, was that the body was still… animate if not breathing, pursuing the prince. That was not a problem she was ready to deal with now. And thirdly, accomplishing either one of those tasks would require giving Danyal for dead. They would effectively be murdering him – a poor repayment for the pain he had suffered for his own loyalty to his family. Surely he was deserving of same loyalty had shown?

"Kings… What do I do?" She moaned. "Brother… If you are there… stop being such a termite and lend a paw!" She prayed. There was no answer. She sighed. She knew her duty was to go after the prince. But to buy his safety with the lives of two cubs and youth who had done nothing wrong? That would be the beginnings of a tyranny. Split the party? One lioness on each task? Impossible. Abandon the Prince? Her brother's Son? That would violate her sacred duty – and still left Danyal. She sighed. The other lionesses waited for her to make a decision, knowing full well, that whatever decision she took, it could mean the death of one of their cubs. Almasi was the worst. She had been trapped whilst her cubs were taken, Danyal mutilated and the Prince lost – but had come out of the battle without any serious injuries, or even have had fought. It had all but destroyed her. The Almasi she had known was faded – this Almasi did her work, nursed the wounded and cared for and cleaned Danyal – who had been so broken by her failure to defend her own young. And she also knew that her sons and daughter were cubs – not princes.

Vitani wanted to close her eyes. To fade away. To step off the earth. Let someone else make this decision. She could almost imagine her mother next to her, taunting her.

"_See Vitani! This is what it means to have true Power! To hold life and death in your paws!"_

She had the power over life and death. And it left her hollow. She was as much a prisoner as the Twins. And as powerless as Danyal, who lay dying on the cave floor.

She didn't know why she eased his head back, and poured the cool water down his throat, in gentle splashes. She didn't know why she and Damu and Almasi worked so hard to preserve the little spark of life in him that remained.

"_He's not your son…" _She heard her own mind whisper to her. _"He's not your nephew. He is just another tragedy, just another dead hero. The Prince. You have to save Kovu's Son. That was your task!" _Even so she didn't move.

Danyal finished the water. Vitani checked his leaf wrappings, and then rose up. And for one moment, a single, over powering, traitorous thought echoed through her mind that made her blood run cold and her heart.

"_It would have been better if he had died. If he had died then –". _She did not allow herself to finish that evil thought. She sighed in frustration.

Who could she condemn to die? What decision was she supposed to make?

"Kings… Gods… If anyone is there…. _Help me…" _And Vitani began to weep silently, for the choice she knew she had to make. For the Realm.

* * *

At the edge of the Jungle, at the Deserts border, three figures moved. One was a lioness, with a chocolate pelt, and lighter belly. She was asleep. Leaning over her was an adult lion. The creature was a bright white, and he stared at the lionesses with anxious eyes. Besides them, a second male – small, and younger, paced up and down. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the lioness cried out. Then her eyes shot open.

"Ugh… What the… Where are we? What's going on? Did we make it?" Sundar asked rapidly. Her voice was accented, and peculiar to a native to the Pridelands, but her words were coherent, and her father turned to her sharply as she rose to her feet.

"Sundar! You are awake!" he said, clearly relieved. Sundar shook herself as she stood up, to clear her head.

"Where are we?" She asked him. The white lion paused – and a second lion, a brown coated youth with a small black mane, explained.

"You did it – you held open the rift – we all made it through safely." He told her. Her father coughed.

"_Helio_ is right, you did it Sundar." He smiled at his daughter. She was about to reply when two lionesses emerged from the tree line at the edge of. They seemed both surprised and relieved at Sundar's recovery, but reported to white lion.

"Lukaan. We scouted deeper into the jungle like you said. As far as we can tell it's deserted of life – we can't see any sign on the Shai'tan, though there are signs of a fight…" Helio frowned at that news.

"A fight? If the Shai'tan were here, we should probably be moving in the other direction Lukaan." He advised. Lukaan paused then shook his head.

"No Helio. You are young – think on this. Ignore your first impulse. If the Shai'tan were here recently, the likelihood they will return soon is low. This is the one place we are sure they _aren't." _The old white Lion explained.

"If we go in another direction, we risk walking right into them…" Helio realized. Lukaan nodded.

"We should move deeper into the Jungle. Sundar, can you move unaided?" he asked. Sundar smiled.

"I am not a child father…" The young lioness said. Lukaan smiled at that, as they all moved deeper into the Jungle Paradise.

* * *

**AN:**

**A lot to digest! Some details on Sekmet's death were revealed. As were some of the Aftermath following a short timeskip of a few hours – I thought it would be interesting to see how the aftermath has affected them, rather than show it myself.**

**Danyal is Still alive! But don't celebrate just yet… he is not out of danger… And Vitani faces a terrible decision. What would you chose? Which would you save? How would you act? Would you have the strength it took to do whatever had to be done, to preserve you life, and the lives of you people? Are the King's death to the pleas of the living? Will I stop asking rhetorical questions?**

**Any questions, comments or concerns are welcome.**

**Also, a Minor update, Chu10's Amazing artwork is nearly complete – and I can't wait to show it you all. It truly is superb!**

**Ah. So the new characters of Helio, Sundar, and Lukaan are introduced.**

**As always, I am sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes that slipped under the Radar.**

**Coming up next: Inti and Sara find themselves in an extremely dangerous situation. And come face to face with another of the Shai'tan…**


	3. Chapter 2 - Captive

**"Hello all. Here is Chapter 2 of The Lion King Legacies: Tremors.**

**How is everyone? Thanks for all the wonderful reviews – here, and to those who are still painstakingly treading through Judgement, and Flood! I still get reviews for those! Sweet!**

**Anyway, I hope you are all well. My day is going well, the reviews are mercifully free of Trolls (A moment to sympathize with Kora22 and Emerald dreamer96.)**

**Anyway – I have had an extremely busy couple of days, with so much going on, with school, Uni-Opendays, UCAS etc etc.**

**The biggest disruption however, was the contraction of a particularly nasty stomach bug, which had me throwing up in the car on the way to Swansea. Vomit e_verywhere. _ I got about Six hours sleep that night, and spent about six hours awake the next day.**  
**So I am obviously not my best.**

**I am better now though - one of those 24 hours things, that exist purely to make life a living hell.**

**But enough about that – here is the next chapter, so enjoy!**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

**Chapter 2: Captive**

* * *

Inti's eyes flickered open. His vision was blurred and a loud ringing filled his ears. For the moment, he could not remember where he was, or what he had been doing… The Sky was green… verdant even, flecked with shades of brown and yellow. He was moving… though he wasn't moving a muscle. Up and down, up and down, as if caught on the waves caused by the splashing of water, but more violent. He felt a warm wind pushing around him. He looked down, and saw a blue surface. Was he swimming? No… Wait… That wind was no breeze – it was the warm breath of a hunter. A predator. He moved, and his head swam, and suddenly, his vision cleared. The sky had not turned green – rather, he was upside-down. His head pounded, and he tried to clutch a paw to his head, and felt the angry swelling of a great bump beneath the skin.

What had happened?

He remembered… a fight. He had been scared… He had been running… Then there had been a mad dash, a scramble. Then a flash of blinding pain… Then he had woken up here…

Inti was no fool – he realized he must have been unconscious. Suddenly, the jumping up and down ceased, and Inti slid of, none to gently to the ground. He fell of the back of a Wilddog, who leered over him for a moment.

"Don't move a muscle, Kitty." It barked at him, showing a wide array of teeth. Inti shrank back. He remembered. Wilddogs. A pack had attacked their group… His mother was immobilized by a falling tree and Danyal… _Danyal. _He did not want to think of that, horrifying part of the memory just yet. He remembered futilely attacking the Tigress with his sister, Sara. _Sara._

He jerked upwards, looking around, berating himself for being so slow. His sister. His twin sister. Where was she? He couldn't see her. Did that mean she had got away? Or did it mean that… (_He almost gulped at the thought) _she had fallen victim to the Wilddogs vicious claws and sharp teeth? His fears were only partly relieved when a second Wilddog ran up beside them , and deposited a small, pale gold form off his back next to him. He jumped up and ran to sister.

"SARA!" He almost shouted.

"Quiet. Shut your yap you sniveling rat!" The Wilddog barked.

"Let me see her! What have you done to her?" He shouted angrily.

"Hold your tongue, before I rip it out!" The Wilddog snapped.

"Derren – don't touch them. The Lord of Golgorath wanted them alive." A second Wilddog said, moving over to them.

"Oh I'll leave him alive – I just want to teach the little rat a lesson, is all." It said, taking a step towards Inti. Inti almost shrank back, but instead, took the opportunity to stand next to his sister, nuzzled her, silently begging her to wake up. She didn't move.

"Leave the boy – he is no good to us dead, or damaged. Do as you're told." The lead Wilddog said to the vicious beast called Derren. Derren glared at him, and took one last look at Inti.

"I could skin you alive boy… whenever the mood gripped me. Just you wait." He said, before turning to leave. Inti, shaken, but undeterred returned to his sister.

"Come on sis… Come on Sara! Wake up! Please! Please don't be dead, please don't be dead!" He whispered over and over again. To his delight, she stirred. Her own eyes blinked open, and she winced in pain. Groaning, she looked around.

"Ugh… Inti… Where are we? What's happening?" She asked him, sounding alarmed. She tried to stand up, but her head swam, and she collapsed, dizzy, to the ground. Inti's eyes hardened.

"Were… I don't know… I think we are back in the Pridelands…" He told her, quietly, so as not to attract the attention of the Wilddogs. Sara looked around.

"The Pridelands? They moved us across the dessert in just a few hours?" She asked in confusion, looking around as if expecting to see sand. Sure enough, they were definitely on the grassy plains of the Pridelands, with no desert in sight. Inti nodded the affirmative.

"I was unconscious too. I don't know how long we were out. It could have been hours. It could even have been days. Or they could have used a gateway… I have no idea…" He admitted. Sara looked around.

"Where are the others?" She asked suddenly, realizing that, bar the Wilddogs, they were alone. Her blood ran cold, and it worsened when Inti remained silent.

"Inti?" She asked, sounding fearful. "Where are the others Inti? Where is Mum? Where are the others? _What has happened?" _She asked him, beginning to panic. Inti tried to keep he voice level as he spoke. He tried speak in calm he didn't feel even as he said it. He failed.

"There are no others… I haven't seen any of the others since I woke up… There is no sign of Mom, or Damu, or Vitani, or of Kiava and Zuri… We are on our own." He said, his voice breaking.

"Mom will find us – you know she will – and Danyal, he'll …" Her voice trailed off as the memory of the previous day came back to her. Her eyes widened in shock as the full memory returned.

Blood. Crimson, splashed on the jungle leaves. Screams of pain – agony. Shattered bone. Torn flesh.

"No…" She whispered.

Danyal falling to the ground without stirring, gore sprayed across the jungle. The Shai'tan, Sekmet, an incarnation of anger and terrible hate. Claws like razors, eyes of fire, and the terrible aura of wrath at those that dared defy her. The sudden shock and loss of feeling as they fell into darkness, that final memory of Danyal's broken body, and their mother, defenceless.

"Mom… Danyal…" She murmured.

Inti was thinking what she was. When they had been… _taken… _their mother had been trapped, beneath a log. And Danyal… He shuddered. The lion who had tried to protect them had been crushed. They hadn't seen the true extent of Danyal's injuries, but from what they had seen, they knew the wounds to have been potentially mortal.

"Sara… I am sorry…" he whispered to his sibling. Danyal had been his friend, and their protector, when separated from their parents, and Sara in particular had developed an attachment to the young lion. Ignorant of his fate, or of the fate of their family and friends, they were left to imagine the worst. Inti shook his head.

"Its okay – We didn't see Vitani, or Damu – I am sure the others are fine. More than fine – we just need to hold out here for a little while, then, Mom will come and save us, and Danyal too – you'll see!" He tried to reassure her. It was true in a sense. They didn't _know _that they were dead. They couldn't be _sure. _There was no body, no proof. He clinged to that thought. It was altogether possible that they were alive, and altogether possible that they would find each other again very soon. They had survived when separated from their family before, they could do so again. He said as much to Sara, who was trying desperately to stop herself from crying. Babies cried. Little cubs cried. She couldn't be a baby or a little cub. Not if she wanted to survive. Her eyes filled with tears nevertheless. Her heart was beating several times its usual rate from fear, and she found herself shaking for little reason, but even so, she nodded stiffly to her brother.

"Yeah… We'll be fine… I am sure." She told her brother. Inti nodded, and took a better look around.

There were Seven Wilddogs in total. Three were relatively uninjured – the leader, and the two who had carried the two of them. Inti knew one of them, called Derren, a nasty, frightening creature. The other five, all sported mild to medium wounds, with one having a particularly nasty injury from neck to hip. Already the congealed blood was tinged with puss, and Inti recognized the symptoms of blackrot instantly. The Wilddog was unlikely to survive the infection – unless it was very fortunate. And for the moment, it was slower than the others. The other four, had long, shallow cuts about their persons but none were life threatening. Inti growled in frustration. They couldn't fight seven Wilddogs – it was not just stupid, but suicidal.

"We need to get out of here…" He muttered to his sister."

"Ya think?" She replied tersely, and her rolled his eyes in response. Sara paused.

"I have an idea…" She muttered. Inti frowned.

"What is it?" he asked, suspiciously. Was she about to do something stupid?

"How bright do you think these Wilddogs are?" She asked. Why was she asking him? What did he know about fighting Wilddogs?

"Umm… Not very…" He guessed. Sara nodded.

"That's what I thought… Get ready to run…" She muttered. Then, to Inti's eternal mortification, she padded straight over to the leader of the Wilddogs.

"HEY!" She said loudly at the leader, who paused, where it was resting. It glanced up at her, setting eyes on his prisinors for the first time.

"Shut up." It told her, then turned away, dismissing her.

"I need to go!" She told him. The leader almost choked a laugh.

"Go! What you think we'll just let you stroll off if you ask nicely? No, the Lord of Golgorath wants' the Lion Cubs alive, and until and I know just why, _I _will be the one to deliver you to them. You are not going _anywhere _until this rest is over, and then, you will be going straight to the Spire!" He told her.

Inti digested this. 'The Lord of Golgorath'? Was that the Shai'tan in charge of the Pridelands now? He wished he had paid more attention when his mother and the others were discussing their plans. Sara began to squirm.

"Not 'Go'. '_Go'_". She told him, squirming as she did so, holing her rear legs tight together. The Leader of the Wilddogs paused and stared at her.

"You have to be joking." He said. Sara winced.

"Please?" She asked. The other Wilddogs looked around in confusion.  
"Tell me your not seriously…" Derren began to say, but a second voice spoke over him.

"If she is going to be on _my _back for the next four hours then I am not having her emptying her bladder on _my _fur." he said. The Leader of the Wilddogs looked around in astonishment.

"Am I going mad? Are my ears playing tricks on me? What is _wrong with you people! _You are soliders! Not babysisters! Those cubs are hostages, not –_"_

"_Sir, with the upmost respect…" _The Wilddog in question continued. The leader threw his paws in the air.

"For the love of – Fine. What the hell! Let's give them a meal while we are at it! _You _can make sure she doesn't run off, or it won't be _urine _spilling down your fur! It will be something a great deal more red!" he snarled, waving a paw to indicate the Wilddog move.

Inti was amazed. This was ridiculous. Surely, no living creature could be that stupid? It was impossible that a creature capable of independent thought could be deceived by such a terrible lie. He shook his head. How he would never fully understand, but somehow, Sara had maneuver the seven Wilddogs to becoming just one. Sara lead the Wilddog away from the group.

"I can't go here – I need to use the bushes!" She protested. The Wilddog raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with here?" He asked in confusion. Sara sighed dramatically.

"I can't go with people watching me!" She said. The Wilddog blinked.

"Are trying to be funny?" He asked skeptically.

"It's your fur!" Sara reminded him. The Wilddog growled.

"Just go then! Quickly – before I –"

"Yeah yeah…" She muttered, entering the bushes. They rustled.

"NOW INTI!" She shouted, and the two cubs made a break for it. It was a full two seconds before the the Wilddog realized it had been duped.

"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF –" Inti never heard the final part, though he had no doubt the Wilddog was promising to do something unpleasant to them. He ran as hard as he could, panting. How far could a cub run? he had been running most of his short life though – and had developed excellent stamina. He had spent his 'play time' rolling in the dust with Kiava and the others, even attacking Danyal on occasion. He was a cub, but he was a cub born in war. A cub grown in exile. Like Kiava. Like Kovu. Like Simba.

Sara ran as well, silently praying with every breath to the Kings above them. Kiara, Nala, Sarabi, Tama, All the names of the famous lionesses she knew. Kovu, Simba, Tojo, Mufasa. The Kings of the past. Would any of them help them now? They had been silent in the past… but just maybe... Maybe they could escape! Maybe, for once, the Kings would answer their prayers!

She heard the Wilddogs angry barks growing fainter behind them. They had dived between the the smaller bushes, and rocks trying to keep themselves out of the Wilddogs line of sight. It seemed to be working.

Maybe, the Kings of the past would reach out and help them! Maybe-

She collided with something, heavy and tumbbeled back, the breath knocked from her lungs. Inti scrammbeled to a stop behind her.

"SARA!" He shouted, looking at what she had collided into in terror.

A Tiger. A Shai'tan. They had blundered right into it. Sara shrank back in horror of the great monster before them.

Behind them, the Wilddogs caught up with them.

"THEY THEY ARE – Oh…" The one they had evaded stuttered when it saw them. Behind him, came three more. Derren, and the Leader of the Pack. They reacted in a strikingly similar way to the cubs at the sight of the Shai'tan. The Tiger barley seemed to notice the cubs. It glared at the Wilddogs, before picking Sara up in a closed paw. She gave a muffeled squeak of terror, but the Tiger set her down in front of the Wilddog, without harming her.

"I believe _this _is yours?" It said, calmly.

"Ah… yes Lord… I um… I do not believe we have met…" The Wilddog stammered.

"Tell me your name, Commander, and I will tell you mine… You _are_ in command here I trust?" He said. The leader stood to attention.

"Ah yes. This Pack is under my command. I am Teron, my Lord. Those behind me are my pack." The entire of the pack had caught up now, and were looking at the Shai'tan uneasily. Inti quailed in fear, as the Shai'tan turned his gaze on him.

"Are these the cubs you left Golgorath to seek?" The Shai'tan asked. The Wilddog nodded, then caught himself.

"There are unconfirmed reports of two more cubs, my lord. The Lady Sekmet and… Bane… are going after them, we believed it best to return to Golgorath…"

"Whilst you still could…and claim the Prize…" The Shai'tan said, eying their wounds. The Wilddogs shifted uneasily.

"In answer to your Question, my Name is Mortread, of the Shai'tan. I arrived earlier this week… along with Amun, another of my Kin… And the Emperor." He told them. the Leader, Teron, shrank back.

"The Emperor is _here? _He exclaimed, aghast. Mortread nodded.

"But tell me this… I am curious. How did two cubs, not even in their adolescents, escape Seven Wilddogs, under your command?" He asked calmly. The voice died in the leaders throat. Surprisingly, it the Other Wilddog who stepped forward. The One Sara had tricked. For a moment, Sara felt a twinge of regret, for this strange solider. He looked up at the Shai'tan.

"It was my fault, my Lord, Forgive me. I was… tricked… by one of the cubs." It said, without looking at them, or at his companions. The other Wilddogs back away, leaving the unfortunate Wilddog out in the open. Alone. The Shai'tan looked at him.

"So…" he said. "Out of all of you… All of you who left the trail of the Pridelanders… All of you who abandoned Sekmet in the lurch – I would not want to be near you when she returns – All of you, who allowed these…, cubs… to escape the _seven _off you… Only you." He pointed at the Wilddog in question. "Are to blame?" He asked. Wordlessly, the Wilddog nodded, and bowed his head. Mortread nodded, and ran a claw through his fur thoughtfully.

"Interesting…" he turned to the Cubs.

"How did you escape them?" He asked the cubs, who shrank back in fear. Sara managed to choke back a terrified sob.

"I… pretended I needed to… pee…" She whispered. She had not in truth needed to go before, but she resisted the overpowering urge to go now. The Shai'tan nodded.

"Smart." he said. "Which is more than can be said for you!" She suddenly bellowed at the Wilddogs.

"Terron." He commanded. The Wilddog leader stepped forward.

"Yes my Lord." he said.

"I find the incompetence, cowardice, and inefficiency of your Pack… disturbing." He said. The Wilddog stood ridged.

"With your permission." He said, unsheathing his claws, preparing to execute his unfortunate comrade. "I will rectify that." He said. The Wilddog scheduled for death, bowed his head in acceptance.

"No need. Allow me." Mortread said. He stepped forward, and slashed his paw down. The Pack Leader gasped, then fell to the ground as his blood spilled out onto the grassy lands. Terron gasped for breath, and died. The other Wilddog, gasped in amazement, at the fact his death had been averted.

"What is your name, Dog?" Mortread asked.

"Harin. Harin Sir…" He stuttered.

"Congratulations Harrin. You've just been promoted." he said. Harrin stared in amazement.

"All of you, who allowed these cubs to escape the _seven _off you… Only you, you alone out of this sorry lot showed the semblance of a spine – and I could scarcely put the Hostages in charge!" He said, smirking at his own sense of humor.

"Take the cubs back to Rish'ut, as per _his_ and Sekmet's orders. Inform Rish'ut that I will be delayed. Clearing up after _his_ and _Sekmet's_ mess – no not those words, he'll rip you apart. Paraphrase." he said. He barley glanced at the cubs.

"I do not care what you know. I don't care who you are. If it is important, Rish'ut will find out. Do not make it difficult for him, or he will make it infinitely more difficult for you." He told them, turning his penetrating gaze upon them.

Sara shivered. When he departed, everyone – Cubs and Wilddogs let out equal sighs of relief.

"Okay. Let's _not _do that again." One of the Wilddogs, who had remained silent throughout said.

For once, Sara agreed with her captors.

* * *

**AN:**

**Well – What do you think? Mortread is the newest Shai'tan, along with Amun, Replacing Sekmet following her death, though he is unaware f it at the moment.**  
**This went from a really scaring, depressing opening, to a humorous escape very quickly, in the manner of Disney-esque escape. Only to go crashing down! I hope it didn't break the mold too much, or seem to out of place. Hopefully, it established a little more of Sara and Inti's characters (As they will be the primary characters of _this _book, with Kiava taking a secondary role, and centre stage next book. (There will be plenty of Kiava appearance though. It's just hard to juggle all the characters, and still get good character development.)**

**Did I get your hopes up with a brilliant Escape attempt? This is where it really abandons the LOTR plotline, because if we were in LOTR, then Sara and Inti would have escaped by now… As it is… They are well on their way to Golgorath – and the Lionesses are nowhere to be found!**

**Ever wondered what the cubs really look like? Well, now, you don't need to! You can see them for yourself.**

**Thanks, to Chu10, I actually have a gallery!**

**Check it out on my Profile!**

**Note: I'll spell/grammar check this properly tomorrow (Reading through the early chapters of Flood and Judgement is Painful, I have realized). But, I don't know when I will a chance to upload this again, so this will have to do for now.**

**Please Review, and Goodnight!**


	4. Chapter 3 - An Enemy of My Enemy

**"Hello all. Here is Chapter 3 of The Lion King Legacies: Tremors.**

**How is everyone? I hope you are all well!**

**Sorry for the lack of updates, I recently returned from a trip to Italy, which was fun, and I have had visitors over this week, one which is an infant which is borrowing my bedroom so I was limited on the time I could spend writing. I also spent a bit of time catching up my X-Box gameplay and writing some of my novel! (I know, considering the size of Judgement, and Legacies, I should have no problem, but I am struggling to get past 20,000 words on that novel… Even so, it's a WIP.**

**How is everyone though? Enjoying the heat-wave, those in the UK? As for those in the US, I bet you are laughing at us now, wondering why only 0.5% of the population has Air-Conditioning, or why we are so unprepared for _good _weather. Welcome to Britain!**

**Anyway, here is the latest chapter, in which two groups join together! Leave your reviews below!**

**(Apologies for grammar/spelling errors. As always, I will go through it one final time later and correct any embarrassingly painful errors. Gone through it a few times now though, so it should be pretty clean.)**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 3: An Enemy of My Enemy**

* * *

Lukaan lead his Pride into the Jungle. The setting was familiar yet also strange to him. Alien. Strange new bird calls filled the air. Plants of new hues and shapes sprouted from every pocket of green in the forest. Even the towering trees were of a kind unknown to him. Helio was unsettled by it, the brash youth shifted away from a rustling bush that split apart to reveal a frog, coloured a blue so vibrant it almost hurt to look at. It croaked once at them before hopping away. Sundar by contrast was enthralled by every new sight and sound, the excitement proving enough to dispel the sense of fatigue that frequently followed the use of her… gift…

"Father – do you smell that?" She asked suddenly. Lukaan was engrossed in his own thoughts, but as soon as she said it, he sensed it, that tinge to the air. It smelled of a feline. His eyes narrowed. _Lioness._ He cursed under his breath. Had he not been so engrossed in the new surroundings, or in his preoccupation with the past, he should have been able to smell it ages ago.

Others in his party – clearly having made the same mistake – looked about sharply. All of them instantly crouching. Lukaan sniffed the air. Helio took a step forward, a soft _clink _announcing that he had unsheathed his claws.

"_Put those away…" _Lukaan told him quietly. "We are not here to fight…"

"Can you say the same for them?" Helio muttered back. A Fair point, but Lukaan was not about to allow the youngest of them to provoke a fight without course, with an opponent they could not even see.

"Just do it…" He replied. The group fanned out into the forest. All of them were as quiet as the grave.

Then a second smell hit them. Lukaan recoiled.

"_SHAI'TAN!" _He 's eyes widened and some of the lionesses glanced at one another uneasily.

"Impossible…" One uttered. Lukaan unsheathed his own claws, previous words forgotten. If a Shai'tan was here… then they were all in grave danger, and he had lead his people straight into a battle. Sundar tensed. Then closed her eyes.

"No…" She said. Lukaan glanced at her.

"What is it?" He asked.

"There is no Shai'tan ahead… Only… Pain. Fear… Death." At that last word, her eyes snapped open, perspiration leaking from her head. Lukaan knew instantly what she had done. She had used her gift to look ahead for the source of the smell. And she had done so recklessly. He shook his head.

"Sundar, you mustn't over exert yourself… We have no way of knowing what will happen to you." He reminded her. Sundar grimaced.

"I can't help it… I am doing it without even thinking about it now… Without control." She told him, looking disturbed. The other lionesses were uneasy, and Helio looked concerned at her. Then muttered something incomprehensible. He had no doubts it was some variation of: 'bloody magic'.

Lukaan shivered. Was there a possibility that Sundar could lose all control completely? This gift that both blessed and cursed his daughter had proved instrumental to their salvation, but at the same time, were a mystery and a torture to them. For the last year, his daughter's dreams had been filled with visions of strange, far off lands, her mind bouncing out at random across the world. And then one day… she had done so during the day, whilst awake. It had frightened him. Never had he heard of such a thing. The 'gift' they had taken to calling it, but from the toll it took on his daughter, 'the curse' was a more appropriate name.

Even so, this pronouncement of the absence of the Shai'tan did little to avert his fears. He held more faith in senses that had kept him alive for over five years than he had in magic's that had not existed until less than a year ago.

"Helio…" He said. The young lion looked up. "Yes?" He asked. "Stay here with Sundar. The rest of you with me…" he said. Helio frowned at being left behind, but said nothing.

The other lions advanced, keeping low in the grass, a good distance apart, alert and on edge. Lukaan lead the way, and they traveled in the direction of the smell that smelt so like the harbingers of destruction they recognized as Shai'tan.

After a few moments, they came upon a sight that made him gasp. A Tigress lay at the side of the pool, mangled by carrion and decay. But unmistakably a Shai'tan.

"Harten… Get the others. They need to see this…" He muttered. He took a tentative step forward as the lioness Harten jolted away, and returned a few minutes later with Helio and Sundar.

"What the…" Helio managed to say, before his voice escaped him. Lukaan nudged the corpse with a paw.

"It can't me…" One of the lionesses said. "It's a trick." Another decided, but looked uncertain. Lukaan hesitated, and then pushed the body over. It landed with a sickening 'crunch' as rotten bones snapped.

"This seems too soon. The marks from the fight look recent, but the decay looks closer to a month's rot…" Lukaan observed. Helio gave a sour laugh.

"Well – they were rotten to the core in life – it's only right they get the same treatment after death!" He said. All fears erased, the lad seemed elated.

"One down – Six to go!" he said joyfully. Lukaan frowned. "But who could have done this?" he asked. The decaying body left no signs of the cause of death, but the evidence of a fight was all around them.

"Who cares? Which one was it?" Helio asked, looking almost blood thirsty. Lukaan gave a closer look – resisting the urge to throw up.

"She's female… Large – bulky and well muscled… Sekmet. This is Sekmet." Sundar whistled through her teeth.

"_Was _Sekmet." Helio corrected.

"The question remains. What happened here? I for one want to know who, _or what _was responsible for this… We have to know what happened here." Lukaan decided. He turned around, and began moving away from the body. The others followed.

"We should move on before–" His words were cut off by a loud growl followed by a roar, as a huge mass of gold fur collided with him. And suddenly he was fighting for his life. He returned stroke for stroke and his vision cleared to show a lioness before him. He didn't recognize her. A Local. And from her actions, a spy for the Shai'tan. He roared in response and brought his own claws up to bear. She growled again and leapt at his face.

Behind him, Sundar looked on desperately with the other lionesses. Helio took a step forward to intervene, but she lifted up a paw to stop him.

"No – they are moving too quickly. Get involved and you'll just get torn to ribbons by the both of them before either of them realizes whose side you're on!" She told him. Helio growled, but stopped moving and began to follow the pair.

The lioness was large, and _strong_. Stronger than any lioness in their group for certain. And there were over differences. She was paler than the palest of lionesses Sundar has ever seen, her eyes were wild, haunted even.

Almasi clawed at the lion before them. She had been walking, trying to clear her head when she had first seen the strangers. She had stalked them, hidden from sight to discover their intentions, but when they had found Sekmet's body, recognized it for what it was, decided to uncover what had happened, a mad rage had gripped her.

They were spies. Followers of the Shai'tan – how else would they have such detailed knowledge? And if they were Shai'tan spies… then they were of the same ilk that had carried off her children before her eyes. The same scum who had near murdered Danyal – nothing more than a boy himself. Such heartless scum moving through her new home as if they owned the place, their hearts blacker than tar, had sent her into a berserker rage that even now sent blood pounding through her ears and her heart into overdrive. She roared her anger.

"LOW LIFE SCUM!" She bellowed as she struck at him. The lion was as white as the clouds in the sky, and her claws slashed into the edge of his skin, tainting that pale purity with sprays of scarlet. He was thin and sleek but he moved like a serpent, ducking and weaving beneath every one of her attacks. She could scratch him; draw a few flecks of blood, but nothing more. Suddenly, he weaved under her strike and bit forwards, seizing her by the neck. Almasi rolled, throwing them both to the ground before he could clamp his teeth down on the neck, and the two we sent sprawling onto the floor.

"You are a traitor to your own _species_!" She spat at him. Then slashed with both paws. That caught him of guard, and six lines of red appeared on the both of his flanks.

"_Give me back my children_!" She howled. And she vented all of her anger at this stranger in her land.

"_Give me back my home!" He replied in anger._

_Suddenly, Sundar froze. This was no spy, or rebel. This was… a survivor._

"_DAD! STOP!" She shouted. _

"Almasi!"

It was Vitani. The lioness had been drawn by the sound of combat and returned to the pool to find Almasi locked in combat with a white male lion. Then she had felt the words of the other lioness seared into her mind. Almasi looked around, grateful for the backup. The fury was leaving her, as were her will to fight. Lukaan was panting heavily, but he had frozen at his daughters words. He stepped towards the duo now.

"We mean you no harm…" The lioness said. The white male looked at her strangely, but nodded in agreement.

"You don't serve the Shai'tan?" Lukaan asked, tentatively. Vitani looked around at the on looking lionesses.

"Ask Sekmet." She said, nodding towards the corpse.

"Who are you?" She asked them.

"Who are _you?" _Replied the younger of the two males. Vitani ground her teeth in frustration. The white lion however, stepped forwards.

"I believe I can guess. You are survivors. The Shai'tan appeared in your land, murdered your family and King, destroyed your home, and you are some of the few to have survived the massacre. And you…" he nodded at Almasi. "You shrieked… 'Give me back my children' back there… which means… You have my condolences. I am so very sorry." He said sincerely. Vitani had flinched and was staring at them in shock. Then she eyed his white mane, his manner, his presence and the fact that all lionesses seemed to look towards him. In a way, he reminded her of Simba, and of Kovu. So Vitani hazarded a guess.

"You were a King…"

"Briefly…" He replied. But there were no Prides near the Pridelands – the lands could not support the numbers.

"A King a Long time ago. Far from here. You know of Shai'tan… which means you have met them before." Lukaan smiled.

"Go on…" he said. Vitani paused.

"You know them… you fought them. But you lost. You ran. You fled your lands and your people and tried to escape death by running away. You ran here. Far from home with nothing but your friends and family. You still see them in your dreams, the ones you couldn't save…" Vitani said. Lukaan smiled.

"It seems we know one another after all…" he said.

"I am Lukaan. I inherited this Pride from my Brother, who died heirless. And we fled the Shai'tan when Empire fell."

"When it fell? The Empire still lives my friend. You walk around its frontier as we speak…" Vitani told him. Lukaan winced.

"The Imperium existed before Ben-Kai-Ra Murdered his way to Power, I assure you. A Coalition of a dozen different tribes and Prides twenty or thirty times the size of these lands for as far as the eyes can see, founded on principles of unity and honor. Principles he betrayed… As he betrayed us all…" He said, his eyes taking a hallow look. And Vitani felt a pang of sympathy. To see her home under occupation was one thing, but to see it and everything it stood for twisted beyond recognition would truly make life unbearable.

"You have my sympathies King Lukaan." She said.

"No longer. I am a King without a Kingdom. I am just Lukaan, who happens to lead a group of rouges." He said. Despite it all though, Vitani felt a glimmer of excitement.

"But you know the Shai'tan…" She said. "You know how to fight them!"

"You can't fight them." he told her. "It is death to try." He said. Vitani frowned.

"They are not immortal." She said.

"They are not wholly mortal either. Not anymore. What kind of creatures could massacre whole Prides? Could murder cubs before their parent's eyes!" Lukaan said.

"The Kind we can kill… Look behind you again." Vitani told him. Lukaan glanced at the decaying corpse of Sekmet and shivered.

"How did you do that?" he asked. Vitani hesitated, wondering how much to tell a stranger.

"The Shai'tan came upon us with a pack of Wilddogs. They were after the cubs. We fought off the Wilddogs, but one of the Shai'tan led the attack personally, and crippled Almasi. One of our number, a young boy by the same of Danyal put himself between the cubs and the Shai'tan. We tried… We tried so hard… But we couldn't stop her. The Wilddogs took Almasi's twin cubs alive. And the other two cubs in our number are missing… we don't know where they are… Danyal fell from the tip of the cliff-face. He dragged Sekmet with him but… She was killed. And he is mortally wounded. From the fall, and from… Sekmet's… The Shai'tan's perverse pleasures." She spat. The new lions looked at one another…

"Impossible…" One muttered again.

"Take us to him." A new voice said. Lukaan knew without looking that it was Sundar - though Vitani did not know that.

The young lioness was staring at her intently.

"Take us to this 'Slayer'.

* * *

**AN:**

**There you go people. Enjoy.**

**So it seems the new lions have met the current Pride. Still no guesses as to who, or what, they are? Let me know below.**

**I should get more regular updates once my holiday begins, but this should keep you going for now.**

**Enjoy your summer.**

**:D**

**Please Review, and Goodnight!**

**Have a nice day!**


	5. Chapter 4 - The Brains and the Brawn

**"Hello Everyone. Welcome to Chapter 4. You ever had Ghosts of the Past haunt you? Well I did – someone having a problem with a review I left over a year ago. That caused some amusement I don't know some flamers feel the need to insult poor authors - when they provide evidence of their own stupidity given the chance... ****Some of my readers may remember the intrusion that caused when it initially took place; which makes me wonder how much of my life I have wasted away staring at this screen…**

**I hope you are all well and enjoying the summer (mine begins today) so enjoy yourself. I will be away on holiday for a number of weeks, but this should tide you over for now. This begins the Third View point in this part of the story. The Viewpoints of Rafiki and Yessen (Who disappeared at the end of Book 1) will appear in Book 3 in Flashback form – where they will be essential to the plot. This is to save you time and effort, and to avoid having an average of five chapters per character set in the book… I am sure you all wanted to see what happens when the lions meet the old Pride, and you will next chapter, but for now, here are the other viewpoint characters. Now, onto Kiava and Zuri!**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Brains and the Brute**

* * *

The Jungle was dense now. So dense that the highest branches above them blotted out the sunlight, leaving only a thing green glow by day, and a heavy darkness at night. Even the plants where darker, Kiava guessed it was from the lack of sun. Behind him, Zuri crashed through the foliage, cursing softly as she did so. Kiava ducked under a branch, but Zuri didn't and she cracked her head against the wood with a loud "THUMP!" She yelped.

"Stupid Trees…" She said. Kiava sighed.

"Zuri – just for the sake of variety, do you think you could not moan about every form of plant life we come across?" he asked her. He was starting to grow sick of her noises. Zuri sniffed.]

"Well excuse me. I can't help it if this blasted Jungle is so aggressive! Lions weren't meant to live in a Jungle – this is crazy!" She said. Kiava frowned.

"You seemed happy enough earlier." He reminded her. Zuri looked around at the densely pack foliage, and the tightly pack branches and thorns and whip-like leaves.

"That was different – that was _fun! _This place is a death trap!" She complained.

"We're going deeper into the Jungle; it's bound to get wilder as we go further in." He said.

"Lovely." Zuri said. Then she shivered. "Kings… I wish I was back with the others… With Mother, and Vitani and Danyal and the Twins…" She said. Kiava stopped.

"You could go back…" He told her slowly. Zuri instantly bolted upright. "No! I didn't mean it like that Kiava, I didn't, honest! I would never leave you alone in this dreadful place!" She said, looking around at the Jungle.

"It's not _that _bad." He said, though he had to admit, the Jungle had taken a definite turn for the worse. It was darker, wilder, and more… vicious. A Place more of malice than of melody. But that was not the reason why he was grateful for Zuri's continued presence, and it was not the reason why he had not insisted that she return to the others. He was afraid. Terrified in fact. And he was willing to endanger Zuri, just so he would not have to face it alone. In a way it made him sick with himself, and at night he sat alone, consumed by his own guilt. If he was willing to endanger the life of his best friend, then what had been the point in running away in the first place?

He knew why – it was because of the Wilddogs. The Wilddogs which he knew could track him as easily as a snake could track a rat through a barren wasteland. Through some magic they could not understand, he knew that those same Wilddogs would continue coming after him. And it was in some way connected to the wound on his side. He could not puzzle it out. It would be something he would have to ask Rafiki. Or Vitani. But Rafiki and Vitani were not here. Zuri was. That made him feel guilty again. But the truth was that having Zuri with him gave him just enough courage to continue putting one paw in front of the other and to keep moving, day by day, hour by hour. Zuri seemed to reads his thoughts.

"Don't even think about asking me to leave." She warned. Despite his feelings on the matter, he had felt compelled to ask her to leave on the first day of their flight. She had all but bitten his head off then, and he was not about to suggest it again.

"How is your side?" She asked him suddenly. Kiava felt under the fur over the injury. The skin was raw, but no longer bleeding.

"Healing." He told her. Healing well in fact. For now. But every so often, particularly at night, just as he was drifting to sleep, he could feel it, the pressure of the presence behind the wound. The gentle throb of a heartbeat that was not his own, and occasionally, a few flashes of thoughts of a creature whose mind was so fractured and depraved it left his mind reeling and unable to sleep for hours. Kiava sighed.

"Let's rest a bit here, and then move on." He said. Zuri nodded. There 'rests' were shorter, but more frequent than they had been when they were running with their family. Kiava shifted uncomfortably. As soon as he stopped moving though, he became aware of a familiar sensation in his gut. A kind of pulsing cramp. Zuri's stomach made loud grumbles. Not so much grumbles of howls of protest. Neither had eaten anything in three days, except for a half rotted carcass they had come across by a river. Kiava had (eventually) taken a bite, but an hour later, he was violently emptying his stomach. Something in the rot.

Either way, it had been inedible, and had only made the situation worse. And now, Kiava was forced to make a decision he had been loath to make.

"Zuri... Are you as hungry as I am?" he asked her. She nodded. He sighed.

"Then we have three choices. One choice is to cut off our left paws, and eat them." He said. Zuri nodded.

"Or?" She asked. Kiava grinned.

"Or... we can eat _each other_..." He suggested. Zuri frowned.

"Perhaps not. What's choice three?" She asked him. By way of answer, Kiava stuck his paw under the log we was resting against, and with drew something bright orange, slimy, and wriggly. Zuri stared at for about thirty seconds.

"I think I favour choice one. Please tell me you are joking..." She said. Kiava hadn't been. And now, their need was so dire that he was forced to concede defeat. He held up another bug, and handed to her. Zuri blanched.

"Simba ate them for years..." He reminded her.

"I know..." She said.

"Inti ate a few..." He told her.

"It was a joke..." She said.

But hunger had proven to be a cruel master.

"Kings damn me if I am going to let myself starve to death..." He muttered. Then downed the bug in one. Zuri almost threw up. Kiava opened his eyes, running his tongue along the inside of his mouth.

"It's not _too _bad..." He told her. Slightly reassured, she too ate a bug – a beetle. In crunched in her teeth. He flinched. Then forced herself to swallow.

"It tastes _horrible." _She said. Kiava nodded.

"It's not great... But at least its edible..." He said. Zuri sighed.

"Tyrant's teeth... I am so hungry." She said. And she grabbed a fistful of bugs in one paw, and began chomping through them. Kiava nodded, and he too began to gorge on bugs.

"I never thought, it would come to this – me eating bugs whilst digging through a black forest..."

"Jungle. It's a jungle not a forest." He glared at her.

"Does it matter?"

"Just saying. I'll be honest; this wasn't exactly what I imagined this time last year..." That was true. Almost a year had passed since the Shai'tan had first appeared in the Pridelands – almost nine months since fleeing the burning remains of Pride Rock. Since his parents had been killed. The thought of his parents no longer brought tears to his eyes, but it did bring with it a blistering anger. He sat back.

"Do you think we can go further?" She asked him. Kiava shifted.

"It's still day – I'd rather not stop for long until nightfall... Just in case." He said.

"_Oh, he's right. There are plenty of Dangers this deep in the Jungle." _A voice said. Kiava froze. Instantly he was on his feet.

"Who's there?" he asked loudly. The voice continued heedless.

"_Snakes in the grass... Predators in the bushes... Leopards, Panthers and even Tigers I have heard... Tigers in Africa..."_

"Who are you?" Kiava asked loudly, not liking this person one bit."

"_Or Even Monkeys in the trees..." _ It said. Kiava looked up, to see a pair of bronze eyes staring down from above them. A Golden Monkey.

"You?" Kiava asked in surprise. He had imagined it belonging to a Wilddog or a Shai'tan... never a tree climbing ape.

"Just Me. But me being me, I'd be meaning to make my presence known in a short while anyway. You have my apologies for startling you, lion cub. You are a long way from home." The Monkey said. It leapt down to land next to him, causing Kiava to retreat slightly.

"What do you want?" He asked. The Monkey smiled a toothy grin.

"Bugs. Its lunch time – and you just happen to be sitting on the largest pile of bugs for miles around. Since there are few animals that would approach a lion, cub or no, I am willing to bet my tail most are still there. I call the pink beetles!" He said. Kiava shifted.

"Ugh – sorry. We'll be moving on in a moment..." he said. The Monkey smiled again. He seemed to like smiling. But perhaps it was simply a feature of the creature's face.

"Never mind, stay a while, talk to me lion cub, I am wondering... What brings a lion cubs out here so far from his pride?" He asked. Kiava shifted.

"Who says my Pride is far away?" He asked.

"Yeah – they're just a little way back that way!" Zuri lied. The Monkey nodded.

"Ah. I see. You must have rather carless parents then. I do not know of any of my friends, who would let their children starve..." He said. Kiava flushed.

"My Parents were not careless!" He said. The monkey nodded in agreement.

"I didn't say they were – I said they were absent." The Monkey spoke so fast it made Kiava's head spin.

"I have never known a feline to eat 'grubs' when meat was in abundance – which it would be, were there any lions of hunting age around. But there doesn't seem to be. So you are either lost, orphaned, abandoned, or else there was some pressing need for you to avoid you families... You two don't seem to be old enough to be eloping together, so I imagine you must be lost..."

"Elo-what-ing together?" Zuri asked. The Monkey shook his head.

"It's an expression my girl. Never mind. My Name is Ookai. I am at your service... For a price..." He said.

"You see, you have the good fortune to be meeting the most travelled primate in the Four Kingdoms. I have travelled through the Jungle Kingdoms, The Pridelands, and The Mountain lands and even took a few wrong turnings into the Shadowlands. I know this Jungle like I do the back of my hand. And I am sure I can help you find your families again." He said. Zuri smiled. This little monkey seemed like a pleasant enough fellow, and she found his long winded way of speaking amusing.

"Thanks Mr Ookai – but we don't –"

"Wait." Kiava said. He was staring at Ookai.

"You mentioned the Mountain Lands." he said carefully.

"Aye." Ookai said. "The Lands to the South of the Jungle, around the base of Kilimanjaro, past the Serengeti. They are almost as fertile as the Pridelands, wide open savannahs, huge plains, full of flora and fauna." he said.

"That's where we need to go!" Kiava said. Zuri turned to him, understanding. Ookai looked them up and down.

"Are you from the one of the Mountain Prides? More Extended Families than Prides, but they each carve out a nice chunk of the lands and seem to get on well enough..." Ookai said. Kiava nodded.

"Uh, Yeah. Yeah, we come from one of them... Do you think you could help us get through the Jungle?" Kiava asked him. Ookai scratched his head.

"I don't see why not... I was heading for the Pridelands... But according to rumours, that's not a pleasant place to be right now. A While back, I hear the King was overthrown, and the situation has been getting worse and worse... I hear the Emperor himself arrived a few days ago..." He said. Kiava glanced at Zuri, her eyes wide.

"Yeah. We really need to get back to the Mountain Pride as soon as we can, but we got a little lost..." He said. Ookai nodded.

"Sure. I don't see why not... I'll help you." he said, swinging up into the tree. Kiava smiled.

"Thank you!" He said.

"Don't mention it my friend. Ookai will see you safely through. However, I am afraid my services will come at a cost." Kiava frowned.

"I don't have anything I can give you..." he said.

"Oh, it nothing much. But well, as the saying goes, I'll scratch your back if you'll scratch mine. I have a small... issue... with a previous _client_..." he said. Kiava looked at him strangely.

"What _issue? _ He asked."

"I might have provided some slightly inaccurate information about some meat, when I was umm... caught. I was about to made a meal of, and I wildly produced some details in order to bargain for my life. Unfortunately, the provided meat was... umm... not of the best of quality." Kiava remember the half rotted carcass. He thought he might have a good idea as to what had happened.

"Nothing was hurt beyond stomachs and pride, but the young master took offense at it. I gather he may have presented the meat as his own kill, so it didn't look to good for him when all those who ate it came down with the flux... he was... quite angry if I recall. I am not too keen on looking over my shoulder all the time – I get such a crick in my neck."

"Soooo..." Kiava asked, not liking where this was going. Ookai nodded.

"So, I was hoping you could help deal with him – if he comes along. He might not of course, but it's best to be prepared..." Kiava looked at him surprised.

"Okaaay." He said.

"There you go. I am sure, the leopard will be no match for you!" he said. Kiava stared at him.

"Wait what? Leopard?" He gulped. Zuri looked back and forth at them.

"Kiava – you can't fight a leopard!" She protested, but Ookai waved her protests away.

"I am sure he'll be fine. It's probably all bravado anyway, one look at a lion and I am sure he won't be bothering us. So, the Mountain Lands. To Kilimanjaro then!" He said and turned around. He put his fingers in his mouth and gave a long, sharp whistle. He waited.

"What are we waiting for?" Kiava asked.

"My Partner." Ookai replied. Then there was a loud thump. And another. Coming closer. And closer.

"What in the world...?" Zuri asked, and peered behind Ookai. A Black figure forced its way out of the foliage behind them, stretching up to its full height. It gave a growl, and a loud roar. It leered down at them.

"Ookai... I was eating..." He said, glaring at the golden monkey. The Gorilla bared its teeth.

"Stop thinking with your stomach Bruce!" The Monkey said. Then to Kiava amazement, it leaped up and landed on the Gorilla's shoulder.

"We have ourselves some customers." he said. Bruce looked down at the cubs as if seeing them for the first time.

"Kittens!" He said smiling. Ookai sighed, and thwacked his friend on the side of the head with a small fist. It made a hollow echo.

"No you idiot! Lions. Lion Cubs. Lost Lion Cubs to be precise. They need our help to get back to their homes, in the Mountains." The Monkey said. The Gorilla nodded.

"Okay then... Wait... Which way are the mountains."

"South."

"Okay then... Wait... Which was is south?" He said. Ookai reached across, grabbed the Gorillas Head, and pulled it to the right. He blinked.

"Oh! _That_ South." He said. Then he began to move forward. Cautiously, the lion cubs began to follow. Ookai leaned down and spoke to the Lion Cubs.

"This is Bruce. Say Hi Bruce."

"Hi." the Gorilla said, smiling.

The lions nodded.

"Umm... Hello Bruce!" Zuri said.

"She knows my name!" Bruce said excitedly. Ookai rolled his eyes.

"As I said earlier. If you want to survive in this world, you have to be prepared to cut a deal. I scratch his back, and he scratches mine." He said. Kiava shared a look with Zuri.

"If you have _him _why do you need me to watch out for the leopard?" Kiava asked. Ookai's smile faltered.

"I had a bit of a hard time explaining what a leopard _was _to begin with, and then, following that, he gets upset when something starts biting a scratching him. He is as strong as an elephant. With the Stamina of a Rhino. And the Brains of fish. But I am teaching him. He's not stupid... just... simple minded." Said Ookai.

Zuri nodded, understanding. They were an odd pair. Golden Monkey and Silver backed Gorilla. Small and Large. Intelligent and Strong. Brains and Brawn. But they were probably their best chance of getting through the Jungle alive. They had survived with less.

* * *

**AN:**

**What did you think of Ookai and Bruce? The Prideland's travelers and odd jobs apes. Before any of you get too suspicious, Ookai is not a trickster… more of a con-artist. You would be wise to keep him at arm's length. He's the kind of monkey you'd train to steal watches or keys. Even so, he is a fast talking, wise-cracking little guy who I think is going to be fun to write with.**

**And thus, the Second of Three "Groups" is formed!**

**Let me know what you thought in the reviews below!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Sundar's Healing

**"Evening. Chapter 5.**

**Hi Everyone. How's life treating you all? Here is the next chapter. It's probably my last release for quite a while, due to going on holiday, but it should be enjoyable. This includes some more magic – but don't let that put you off if it isn't your thing. The story is progressing as planned. This is a short chapter, because it was HUGE, so I decided to split the chapter in two, to have more even sized chapters. Just remember you are getting two Chapters here. Did a check for spelling, but as always, I apologize for those I missed. Guess you must be tired of hearing this. Even so, I plan or doing a "Great Reread" when all is said and done, fixing every tiny microscopic little bug, typo or continuity error as I do. But that will probably not be for a year, so enjoy this for now!**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Sundar's Healing**

* * *

Vitani had lead the other lions to the save where they had been recovering. Damu had leapt to her feet at their approach, but upon seeing Vitani was with them, directed her attention instead to her.

"Who are…?" She began, but the lead lioness pushed past her without as much as a word. Damu's questions would have to wait. Lukaan followed Sundar as quickly as possible, passing apologetic look at the affronted Damu. When the new lionesses came upon the mangled body of Danyal, they froze. Lukaan looked at the injuries with increasing concern as he worked his way along them. When he came upon the shattered paw he audibly gasped and when his eyes found the gaping wound on his back, he muttered something – a curse in a language Vitani didn't understand.

"And I thought I had seen the limit of the Shai'tan's cruelty…" he said. Vitani could only nod.

"This was Sekmet's work alright. I can smell the anger that fueled those strikes. The hatred." He almost gagged. Helio didn't look as long, but he was shaking with anger when he turned away. The other lionesses were likewise ill-disposed to the state of Danyal's injuries.

"Now I understand why you didn't go after your cubs when they were taken…" Lukaan said. How could anyone abandon a person, a lion little more than a cub, who had suffered so much for them? It was a terrible decision. Slowly, Sundar reached out a paw, and touched the injury on Danyal's spin. Almasi growled.

"Leave him be!" She snapped. Damu growled as well, and Sundar retreated. Vitani said nothing. Almasi in particular had grown protective of Danyal whilst he had laid in this coma – perhaps out of some misplaced guilt. Vitani could sympathize. It was not _her _cub, Danyal had nearly died protecting. Sundar stared p at Almasi.

"I… I think… I think I can help him…" She said. Almasi snorted.

"Help him? By chipping away at his wounds? Leave these things to people who know about them girl." Almasi snapped. Lukaan cleared his throat.

"Do as she says Sundar. This isn't out affair." He said. Sundar turned around, and to Vitani's surprise, started growling at her father.

"Shame on you! Just look at him! Look at what those things did to him? I can help him!" She said. Lukaan shook his head.

"Sundar – No! We don't know enough about it – about what it does to you! This is no time to be experimenting!" He said. Sundar ignored her father. She turned to Vitani.

"He told you… he said, I have a gift…" She said to Vitani. Vitani nodded.

"He mentioned you having… visions… At night and during the day." Vitani said. Sundar nodded.

_This one's mind is lost. He will never awaken as he is – he will simply waste away to nothingness._

_I might be able to lead his mind back to his body… and start it repairing itself._

The Words reverberated in Vitani's head. She recoiled from the alien touch to her mind.

"_What are you?" _Vitani whispered. Sundar smiled sadly.

"I don't _know_… But it frightens me more than it does you…" she replied. Lukaan roared.

"No! Not so soon. It could… I don't know what it could do! It might kill you – send your mind into a thousand pieces! Burn you from the inside out! Who knows! I won't risk losing you!" Lukaan said. The white lion was visibly torn. On one hand, he sympathized with the African lions. On another, he was loath to risk his only daughter.

At this point, Damu interjected.

"Whatever you are thinking of doing – don't. Not until we know just who you are, and what you want." She said. Vitani nodded. She was still shaking. Lukaan paused.

"Fair is fair. We know yours – some of it anyway. We should probably tell you our story." he said. He halted.

"What do you know of the lands beyond the sea? The Great River that encircles Africa? And of the lands beyond it?" He asked. Almasi gave a bark of laughter.

"A Myth! There is nothing beyond Africa! Just an endless expanse of air and sky! Are you saying you come from there? You may as well claim to come from the stars!" He said. Lukaan shook his head.

"Your race has forgotten. Or perhaps been encouraged to forget. I will not bore you with details. But there are a great many lands beyond the ocean… Lands as cold as mountains to the far north. Lands to the west – across a sea so vast it escapes comprehending… and lands to the east… where I and my kind live…" he said. Vitani stared at him, her mind trying to understand it.

"You are a lion… Though I have never seen one of your colour, Lions live in Africa – you and your kin come from here…" She said, uncertainly. Lukaan smiled. Then he extended a paw. Vitani compared it to her own. The resemblance was there, but there were subtle differences… Slight changes. He was right; they were not quite the same…

"We come from Asiantica… The Eastern Land." He said. Vitani's eyes widened. Almasi snorted.

"I have heard enough. What of your daughter? Does she come from The Moon as well?" she said. Lukaan said nothing, and then slowly he said words that made Vitani's blood run cold.

"The Shai'tan. Are they any Lions among their number?" He asked. Damu responded.

"They are all tigers I believe…" She said. Lukaan nodded.

"Are tigers a common creature in Africa?" He asked. Almasi snorted.

"Don't be foolish. No one has seen a tiger here for hundreds of years!" She said. Lukaan smiled.

"And where do you suppose they have been all this time? The Moon?" He said. Almasi paused. Lukaan continued.

"I believe you know of the Demon to blame… A Primate with an unfortunate addiction to naked flames… The Fire Priest some name him… A Shaman of dubious morality and a nasty streak as long as the Serengeti. Vitani nodded.

"Marsade…" She said. Lukaan nodded.

The Imperium Ben-Kai-Ra leads is a new thing, born from the ashes of the old Imperium. That same Imperium ruled for hundreds of Years… Since the Exile. When the Tigers were cast from Africa once and for all. Some Lions agreed to go with the exiled Tigers – as proof that they were not being sent to their deaths, and to act as guards for the defeated Tigers. Generations turn jailer and jailed into one and the same. Tigers and Lions in Asiantica lived in seeming harmony. But I could never have begun to guess the complexity of the undercurrents beneath this exterior. Love lasts centuries, but fades over time. Hatred endures for all time – intensifying with the years. Ripening. When the Old Empire fell, Ben-Kai-Ra gathered his followers, and with Marsade at their back, grossed the huge distances to extend their Empire across the world. And now they have returned to Africa…" Lukaan said. Vitani considered this. There were plenty of unanswered questions, but one bothered her most of all.

"How did _you _arrive here?" She asked. It was Sundar that answered.

"By picking open a sealed wound. We found the remains of a Gateway – improperly sealed. I projected my thoughts through the gap… with enough force to push it open – for a short time. We managed to cross it." She said. Lukaan nodded.

"How do you know the Shai'tan?" Almasi asked, but Vitani had a pretty good idea how. Lukaan answered.

"You are merely the latest of conquered prides added to Ben-Kai-Ra's Empire… We… The Lions of Asiantica… we were the first. And as far as we know… We here, are the last. Sekmet's fury is frightening to behold, as our friend here knows to his cost." He nodded at Danyal's motionless body. "But the Fury of the Emperor… is beyond anything I have ever seen." He said. He would say no more. Vitani considered. This would not be the last time they would speak of this, but it would do for now. She felt as if she could trust these strangers… These Asiantics… She nodded at Almasi.

"Let the girl through. Let her see what she can do for Danyal." She said. Lukaan shook his head.

"She will do no such thing – it is too dangerous for her. I would not ask you to sacrifice your son for my daughter, do not ask the same of me." He said. Sundar turned to her father.

"Dad… We owe them this much. These are _their _lands. This is _their _friend. And this Slayer of Shai'tan deserves another chance at life. I might just be able to give him that."

"At the cost of your own? I forbid it."

"Not necessarily. I do not plan on throwing my life away – but don't you see? This one here – this young lion – has done more for our Pride in killing Sekmet than any one of us here. Not my Uncle – not my mother – not you or me. He has proven the Shai'tan are mortal – proven they can be killed! Our home may not yet be lost to us…" She said. Lukaan hesitated. Sundar pulled away.

"You wouldn't ask someone to risk their life for me… But you would want it all the same." She said. Then she turned. And sent her mind out.

It was a sensation like the rushing of wind – like falling. Perhaps like flying. And as her paw brushed Danyal's head, he felt it. The fractured, shattered remains of a mind in coma. A dozen thoughts and feelings flew through her. Memories. A hard cub-hood. A single mother. Then grief and loss as that was ripped away.

Loneliness. Such empty loneliness. Despair. Then this was replaced by a feeling of family – companionship. Being part of a Pride. Growth. Adolescence.

Then, more mature, darker feelings as even this new life was ripped away. Fire. Smoke. Destruction and death. A huge mess of fire and water as a river exploded into steam and spray. Traveling. Flight. Desperation fused this time with determination and confidence. Survival. Desert. Jungle. Then elation turned sour. More fighting – for the third time. And fear. Anger driven. Then lancing pain. Agony. Darkness. Falling! Falling into the cold waters of death – held on by a thread. A tiny, tiny thread. Suspended above the chasm of death.

Danyal. That was his name. And this was Danyal. A Hundred thoughts – a hundred shards. Memories and dreams. Nightmares and sufferings. The good and bad. All of it was Danyal – a creation made of his experiences. Sundar fought for grip, her tenuous control of the situation slipping. Then she was falling through a river – completely lost on the flow of memories and experiences. Sundar her name was Sundar… She was looking for something… Someone. Someone called Danyal.

"_DANYAL!" _She shouted trying to penetrate the waters. Waters that became flames then became as empty as the wind.

"Danyal!" She called again. Then a voice answered.

"Vit...Vitani?" It replied, mistaking her for someone else.

"Danyal – listen to me – where are you?" She asked. She was drowning now, in the pool of thoughts and feelings. They pressed against her, filling her head with visions. She was teaching Kiava to hunt – rescuing Sara – pushing Inti into a water hole – wait. Not that wasn't _her_ – those weren't _her _memories. It was becoming increasingly hard to keep herself separate from the world around her.

"I… I don't know… I am… falling… _fading… help me!" _The voice replied. Sundar dived for it desperately, and then it was lost to her.

"Danyal!" She called. The she felt something before her. A void. Emptiness. Suddenly all other thoughts and feelings that were not her own began to fade from existence. Falling. Dying.

"No! Danyal!" He called. The void expanded, filling her vision. Then suddenly, a ray of red light split the void, and it pulled apart like a pair of jaws to reveal a great ball of White flames. Then everything exploded, and her world faded to nothingness.

* * *

**An:**

**To be continued…**

**What did everyone think of Sundar's magic? So she can project her mind. Well, it's not as flashy as Marsade or Rafiki's magic, so it might come in useful, but it takes a toll on her. She nearly lost herself in the shattered remains of Danyal's mind. Which doesn't bode too well for him. There was a little more of Danyal's history there if you were watching closely.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please, leave a review before moving on - this was an abstract chapter for me (mind games, memories, rivers of thoughts etc) , and I am always concerned that when I do such chapters, they are of a lower quality than the action chapters, so a genuine review would be appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 6 - Return to the Twilight Realm

**"Evening all. Bet you weren't expecting this! Three chapters in two days! Hey, I never like to leave you guys hanging, it's awesome after.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Return to the Twilight Realm**

* * *

When Sundar opened her eyes – she immediately berated herself for her stupidity. Her father had been right. He turned to him, and then her blood ran cold. He was not beside her. Nor was Danyal's body. She was alone. She looked around, her heart beginning to race in confusion. The world was… grey. The Sun above them was a sickly red and cast long shadows across the grey land. The air was still and tasteless. Not a breath of wind. She looked around in confusion.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"_Well that dependssssssssssss… Have you been a good lionessssssssssssss or a bad lionessssssssss_" A Voice said. Sundar looked around. There, sitting on a rock, was a serpent. A medium sized, red snake, the colour of blood. He was the only dot of colour besides herself. She eyed it cautiously.

"One minute I was… I was inside his _mind._" She said. The snake nodded, its tongue flicking in and out.

"Yesssss. And hissssssss mind came here… You were unfortunate enough to be caught in the currentsssssssssss."

"Who are you?" She asked him. The Snake gave a sly grin.

"Hunter, Killer, Ssssolider, Sssspy. Wyrm and Worm. A Murderer. A Ssssavior. A Ssssinner, A Ssssaint. It all depends on your persssspective… The Truth is in the eye of beholder. I did great good and terrible wrongssssss. I Killed for power, and for friendship, or my own life, and for the livesssssss of others. The raissssed Kings and toppled Kingdomssss. I have been many thingssss, lionessssss. All of them came to _nothing. _Here and now, I merely… a Messenger… A guide, for otherssssss. For thossssssse better than myself. I assist those who find themselvessssssssss here… prematurely." It hissed.

"Where _is _here?" She asked. The snake hissed.

"Nowhere. And Everywhere. In between worldsssssss – at the edge of dreamssssss. Behind a memory. A World of Twilight. A place of Judgement. And in my casssssssse… atonement. " He replied. Sundar shifted.

"Where is Danyal?" She said. The snake frowned.

"The one you ssssssssssseek. He is in this place asssssss well." It hissed. Sundar sighed with relief. The snake pointed with its tail. The direction in which it pointed was hidden by mist. Sundar eyed the white mist cautiously. The snake laughed.

"The mists hold no terrors for you lioness… Only for those lacking in certain… qualities… Now go. Find the one you sssssssseek – and try your hardessssst not to return here… It is not a pleasssssant place… Even lessssss of late. The earth in turmoil, and there are plotssssss and ssssssschemes that threaten to rip the heavensssssss apart… Beware the Emperor. But beware the Fire Priessssst. And beware most of all those closesssssst to you. Treachery has brought down the mightiesssssssst of Kings… I know that well." It said.

"You were a King?" She asked in surprise, as she took her first steps towards the mists. Of all the things he had claimed to be, that surprised her most of all. The Snake laughed.

"Ha! I was the _traitor…" _It said, as the mists filled her visions.

She walked for a time that could have been an hour, but felt like a minute until the mists cleared.

And there he was. The young lion was standing there, in the grey world – his injuries carved into his body – but seeming to not bother him. He simply stood there when she approached; he turned his head to her, and said nothing. His eyes were hollow – and gaunt. His skin was a tinge greyer – as if he had spent a lot of time underground, and his emerald green eyes seemed glazed.

"Danyal?" Sundar asked, as she approached.

"I don't know you…" He whispered. Sundar shook her head.

"I mean here to help you. Here to take you home." She said. Danyal shook his head.

"My home… my home is gone…"

"Your Family need you back…" She said.

"My mother is dead. There is no one else."

"There are people who care about you." She said. Danyal paused.

"I failed them… Sara and Inti are dead and it's my fault. You should not have come here. Get out." He said. Sundar shook her head.

"You defeated a Shai'tan. You have no idea the atrocities she had committed across the world, in the Imperium and beyond. My Pride is in your debt _Slayer_. I am here to repay that debt – by bringing you home." She said. Danyal stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"Repay… Let me die. Let the others to move on… Let them rescue Kiava. Let… me… die." he whispered. Sundar shook her head.

"What is this accursed place?" She asked aloud.

"_It is no place for the living… You should leave." _A voice said. There was a flash a light, and a great lion appeared. The figure was gold – so gold he seemed to shine with his own light. Everything except for his mane, which was as black as night. Sundar's head was beginning to hurt. Things were getting a little to strange for her now. But instead she turned to him.

"I am not going anywhere without him." She said. The Lion said nothing. It was a great golden creature, but its mane was as black as night. It stared at her with amber eyes.

"You have no choice. He cannot return to earth. His mind is dead. He merely waits here for his body to follow. Then he will move on." He said. Sundar stared at him.

"No… No he's still alive!"

"His body lingers, but you felt the shattered mess that his mind. His injuries are too severe for him to survive… I am sorry. I truly am. He was a very brave lion." Sundar growled in frustration.

"It isn't fair! He managed to kill a Shai'tan! He should –"

"Should or should not make little difference in this realm my child." The Lion said. Then he hesitated.

"But... perhaps the balance is already broken... He would not be the first soul to be returned to the earth in recent days. The Necromancer, Marsade, has to be stopped. The damage he does unintentional already causes ripples throughout heaven and earth. The damage he could do deliberately does not bear thinking about." He turned around and faced Sundar directly.

"I know who you are, Princess Sundar of the Asiantic's… And I know what you flee from. But you have fled from the fire only to fall into the abyss. The Pridelands are the Shai'tan will be stopped in the advance across the world, or it will be where defiance is finally crushed. The future is a whirlpool now. None of us, not even Kira, can see what it holds. The Imperium and the Lion Prides will clash… Again… And this time, separating them by whole continents will do nothing to slow the slaughter. The Shaman are at war with one another… Pride Rock is destroyed and both Carrocscirr and Golgorath are one more inhabited. The Life of one Lion is _nothing _compared to the chaos that already strains against the fabric of creation…" He said. Sundar's face fell. She said nothing. Then the lion sighed.

"But my Sons could never stand idly by though… Even if it doomed the Pride, they would rather end it doing what they perceived to be good then preserve it with evil… Or Apathy." He turned to her.

"If one Soul has been risen by the Enemy… Perhaps we can do the same and maintain the balance… Just. Bane walks the Earth again – his hunger devouring him as much as it devours anything that stands in his way. If we bend all our will towards it, we could… perhaps…" He didn't finish. "There will be a cost. How or what or when, I don't know, but there will be consequences to this action. For all of us." he warned her.

"It may be that in doing this, I doom the Pride to oblivion… But perhaps it is for the best. If it is the Prides Destiny to die, then let it die, and let something else be reborn." He said. Then he extended a paw, and light seemed… to _drift… _from his paw, to Danyal. The grayness left his features, his eyes began to gleam once more, and the blood which had been slowly trickling out of his wounds for all this time, slowed. He gave a sigh, and crashed to floor, unconscious. Sundar felt dizzy, and she too fell to the ground with a gasp. White mist descended upon them again. She stared up at the Gold and Black lion.

"Thank you…" She said. The Lion nodded.

"You risked all, for a lion you didn't know, using powers you do not understand. Maybe even you do not understand _why_ yet. Beware that gift, Sundar, and use it only in great need. You are not ready for it. Yet. The Imperium cannot be allowed to advance any further. That is Ben-Kai-Ra's goal. He sees himself above the Kings and Gods, and he will not be satisfied until the whole world is brought under his control… And with the Shaman aiding him… He may yet succeed." He warned her, as the world faded into white.

When she opened her eyes, her father was staring at her, tears shining in her eyes.

"You're alive!" He gasped. He gasped for air, suddenly feeling as though she had been holding her breath. Behind her, Danyal spluttered and gasped as well. When he coughed, blood sprayed, and his would began to bleed again, but the lionesses gasped in amazement.

"Impossible!" Damu and one of the Asiatic lionesses said at the same time. Sundar smiled.

"What happened?" She asked her father.

"For two minutes… you stopped. So did he. The minute you touched him... You stopped breathing. There was no pulse, not breath, no nothing! I thought you had killed each other!" He said. Danyal, behind her, was taking things less well. He had instantly began to shake, and Almasi was struggling to keep him on the ground.

"AARGH! No! No! No! No! No! I… Can't…" he had a wild look in his eye. Almasi tried to calm him down, but it was no use.

"The darkness beyond… the shadow that waits for all – I saw him for a moment there! A void that swallows the sun! I saw the Shai'tan disappear into the void – heard the screams! And _She!_" At this he pulled away from Sundar.

"She was inside _my head! _What the hell _is _she?_" _

"Danyal its okay! It's okay!" Almasi tried again. He began to calm down as he recognized her.

"Almasi… Almasi… Sara, Inti." His eyes widened, as more memories returned to him. memories of pain and blood and death. Falling.

"Kings No. No! Not me! You weren't supposed to stay with me! You were supposed to stay with them!" He almost screamed. Sundar heard fear in his voice, guilt even. He didn't look at Almasi; he refused to look her in the eye. Vitani had had enough.

"Danyal!" Vitani said, and Danyal froze at the sound of her voice. He turned to her. She was staring at him, fixing him with a penetrating gaze.

"Danyal. Listen to me. Listen!" She said. Danyal quieted.

"Danyal, nobody blames you! We are going to rescue Sara and Inti. We are going to find Kiava and Zuri, everything will be fine, do you hear me?" She said. Danyal nodded slowly.

"Right. You have been through a lot – you need to rest some more, recover. Then, when your injuries are healed we'll –" She didn't finish.

"Wait…" Danyal said. His eyes had widened in horror. He was staring at his injuries in disbelieve. More blood had pooled around him, activity reopening wounds. Damu rushed to prepare more herbs to try to staunch the bleeding.

"Vitani, tell me, is there an injury on my back?" He asked her, his voice growing quiet. Vitani nodded uncertainly.

"Yes – it much be excruciating – we'll try to –"

"No…" He said. "It doesn't hurt. I can't feel pain there; I can't feel anything past that point. I can't even move it." He stared up at Vitani in horror.

"I can't move my rear legs... I can't run, or hunt, or fight." He whispered, the full realization dawning upon him.

He said. Vitani tried to think of something to say. Some words of comfort, some kind of offering. Suddenly this young lion before her seemed very much less a lion and more of a cub. She wanted so much to say something that would make the fear go away. So help in him some way. But no words came out. She just stood there, her mouth half open, in silence. And Sundar remembered the words of the Lion on the other side, in the twilight world.

"_There will be a cost. Who or what, I don't know, but there will be consequences to this action…"_

This was the cruel cost the world had extorted from him. He had is life. And no way to use it. He was alive – but unable to live.

"_Damn you…" She whispered._ She had no doubt, that somewhere, in the darkest pit of hell, in the ice cold plains or the burning hellfires, somewhere, Sekmet was screaming in agony, and laughing. Laughing at the suffering she had caused. Even if death, the Shai'tan were spreading pain. Sundar stamped a paw on the ground, and ground it into the dust.

"Damn you all…" She muttered. It had been for nothing. She had risked all, for nothing.

* * *

**AN:**

**Well! Well, well, well! A lot to talk about I imagine. Two returned cameos in the Twilight Realm and two names being dropped. Surely you can guess which four I mean? _The Twilight realm _itself making a Cameo! It's a Judgement festival!**

**And… Danyal is ALIVE! And he will stay that way for now – but he is crippled. Oh no.**

**Please, discuss in the Reviews! I would say more, but it's late where I am, and I want to get this released quickly then go to bed! Goodnight!**


	8. Chapter 7 - The Pits of Golgorath

**"Hey Everyone. I have returned from Holiday for now – and though there may be a short week break at some point, I am ready to start writing this again full time! Aren't you pleased! Well, remember to leave a review below, I really do appreciate them, and incorporate them into my work – even if you hated it, I still want your opinions. Okay everyone, here we go. Chapter 7.**

**There is a lot of new stuff here, so I hope it makes up for the long break.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Pits of Golgorath**

* * *

The Lionesses of the African and Asiatic Prides Spent the first few minutes following Danyal's Healing, in disbelief and not a little Awe. Awe of both Danyal – who had supposedly killed Sekmet – known to be one of the most wrathful Shai'tan, and also of Sundar – Lukaan's daughter who had brought him back from the edge of death using powers even they did not fully understand. Already Danyal's memories of the twilight realm were beginning to fade, but Sundar's memories of the Red Serpent, and the Gold and Black lion were as clear as day. Privately she wondered who they were and what they meant. Fragments of Danyal's mind? Manifestations of her own mind's intrusion into Danyal's? Something else entirely? She had no idea, and not for the first time felt frustration at how little she understood these powers that had manifested in her one day, seemingly of their own accord. The ability to heal would certainly be useful, but she had nearly lost herself in the vast expanse of the Danyal's fragmented mind. She paused for a moment as the memory of that icy abyss came over her again. She shook her head. She would not risk entering the mind of someone she didn't know well again. Her father was right. It had been foolish.

Sundar paced along the ground outside the cave. Eventually, Vitani emerged, and a few of the other lionesses perked up to hear what news. Vitani's face was grim.

"You." She said. "Sundar?" She asked hesitantly. Sundar nodded and Vitani motioned to her.

"Your father and I have been discussing how our Prides can best accommodate each other's motives here." Sundar followed her back into the cave as they continued.

"Lukaan and I are in agreement – our Prides goals may be compatible. It is clear you have no love of the Shai'tan, and your situation is clearly one not dissimilar to ours. You home has been taken from you as well as ours. In that respect, we are alike. Almasi, Damu and I must continue. There are things that you should be aware of." She told her. They reached the cave, where the lionesses in question sat. Lukaan was with them, as was Danyal – who had once again slipped into unconsciousness, though not the deep coma of before. Merely an exhausted sleep. Sundar didn't blame him, she too wished to rest despite the earliness of the day – the healing had exhausted her to her limit.

"What is it?" Sundar asked. Vitani sighed.

"There are four more of our company who are still missing from the jungle glade where we fought the Wilddogs. They are cubs – Sara, Inti, Zuri, and Kiava." She said. Sundar frowned in concern. She had picked up a little of what was going on, but it was another thing to hear it from the lips of those aggrieved.

"Our largest concern is for Sara and Inti – Almasi saw them taken by the Wilddogs. Damu spent yesterday tracking them, and we believe they fled back across the desert… We think they traveled at least part of the distance by gateway because the scent fades. We think that they have been taken to the Shai'tan's heart in the Pridelands. Either the Back Tower of Golgorath, or the Ivory Tower – Carrocscir, in the Shadowlands. Both are a good few days on foot, so we stand a chance of catching up with them." Vitani said. Sundar nodded, trying not to let her face show her concern for the cubs.

"Why would they waste their energies on cubs? Surely the bigger threats are the grown lionesses?" Sundar said aloud. Almasi and Vitani glanced at one another before Vitani spoke.

"Because the second pair of cubs includes Damu's daughter, Zuri, and also Kiava. Kiava is the only son of Kovu, and Kiara, who were Simba's heirs. Kiava is the heir to the throne of these lands." She admitted. Sundar paused.

"So where is he?" She asked cautiously.

"We have absolutely no idea." Vitani said. Then sighed.

"So we can only trust that they can fend for themselves until we can free the twins." She said. Sundar's jaw dropped.

"Are you insane? Fend for themselves? These lands are practically occupied! If he is as important as you think he is then the Shai'tan will have spies _everywhere _looking specifically for him!" Sundar said in shock. Vitani's eyes narrowed.

"Do you think we are stupid? That somehow that thought had not crossed our minds? We have no choice in the matter. We can't abandon the twins, and Kiava hasn't left a trace. We are left with no option. Besides. They will have chance – the Shai'tan's spies will be looking for us – a fractured lion Pride. Not a pair of cubs by themselves. That _might _give them the advantage they need to escape detection long enough for us to rescue the others." Vitani said, firmly. Sundar wasn't sure, but she said nothing. Vitani nodded.

"So we have come to a decision. Despite our… accommodation here with your father's Pride, Lukaan has refused to order his lionesses to accompany us. Which is fair enough – as much as we would appreciate the help, it would be folly to force complete strangers to put their lives on the line for strangers. Besides – if we are to stand a chance at rescuing the cubs, stealth will be our guide. The three of us can do more under cover of darkness than a Pride three times this size during the day. It is of little consequence." When Sundar looked at her father, he cleared his throat.

"However, we are in this Pride's debt. Danyal is in no condition to fight – not now, and not with his injuries. The harsh truth is that he will only slow the group down. They have tarried long enough in their mission as it is. It is the least we can do take care of him, whilst his Pride seek to rescue Sara and Inti." He said. Sundar stared at Vitani.

"You're just leaving him here? After everything he has done for you?" She asked in shock. Vitani's eyes blazed with anger – and guilt – at the accusation but it was Almasi who spoke.

"We don't have a choice. We… We can't. We can't carry the boy – and he can't walk. We don't have a choice in this. It breaks my heart to leave him here after everything he has already endured but we really are left without a choice in this matter." Sundar saw how much this pained her – even more so than Vitani. Then Sundar recalled that it was Almasi's cubs that Danyal had been injured trying to protect. Her gaze softened.

"So he remains with us – for now." She said. Vitani nodded.

"It's the only way. For now, we must go after the Twins."

* * *

"Okay. Rest here for now." Harrin said.

Sara and Inti gratefully sank to their ground, gasping for air. Inti felt as though his muscles were on fire. Sara collapsed next to him. Harrin, the Wilddog who had taken command of the pack of Wilddogs had made a few changes to the way they had moved. He had simply stated that since the cubs were untrustworthy, they could run by themselves. A quick snap of a pair of jaws ensured they did not slack behind. There was no chance of using the same technique as last time to escape. As Sara had quickly discovered to her dismay, the need to 'go' was no longer sufficient. Harrin was of the opinion that if the need was really as pressing, she would have no problem going where she stood, in front of all. And Sara soon found herself in agreement after two days straight. The regime did more than prevent her from skulking away into the night. Each day ended in exhaustion from continuous running so severe, that any thought of flight or escape was quickly banished by the simple desire to rest and to sleep. They would not be trying to escape again anytime soon.

"Wilddog scum…" Inti muttered as he panted for breath. His expression dark. One of the Wilddogs gave a bitter laugh as he said it.

"You're the one that's so weak, you can't move after a day of running!" The Wilddog laughed.

"Scum! Muck! Waste! All true _lion. _But also _Alive. _How long will you be able to say the same?" It said. Inti spat. The Wilddog only laughed more.

"What are you? A Hyena? Shut your trap!" One of the other Wilddogs growled. The dog turned to its challenger.

"You' going to make me?" He snapped. In response the other Wilddog launched itself at the other, and the two began barking and snapping at one another. No one batted an eyelid as they fought – provided neither was seriously injured, killed, or otherwise rendered unable to fight, Harrin paid little attention to the welfare of his soldiers. Sara turned away in disgust as the blood started to flow. Inti tapped her on the shoulder.

"Look…" He whispered. Sara did, and then they saw it. The past hour, they had spent so much energy, eyes on the ground, trying to keep running, that only now they saw the towering pillar of rock before them. Sara shivered.

"We must be in the Outlands…" She said. Inti gulped.

"Is that the elephant graveyard?" He asked. Sara shook her head. "Nah – that's Hyena territory. This is Golgo… Gorga… Golgaro… something." She said. "It's where the Outlanders lived before the civil war. Danyal told me once. It's supposed to be really dangerous. Filled with Scorpions and snakes and other dangerous creatures…" She said. Inti sighed.

"Of course it is. What else would it be?" He said. Harrin, who stood nearby saw them talking.

"It's called Golgorath, Girl. And now it's the Palace of Sekmet and Rish'ut. The Lady and Lord of Golgorath as they are now known.

"Two Shai'tan?" Sara asked in fright. It came out as a squeak. The Wilddog shifted.

"Five if Mortread spoke the truth, Sekmet. Rish'ut. Amun. Mortread. And the Emperor himself." Even his voice betrayed a sense of worry at that particular announcement. Why the Emperor was here was a mystery to all the Wilddogs and the Cubs alike.

"Wonder where the other three have got to…" He muttered to himself as an afterthought. Sara stared at him in shock. And for a moment, images flashed before her eyes of the Shai'tan ripping through lines of lioness. Of the Fire raining from the heavens as Pride Rock turned to dust. Her voice died in her throat. Inti pressed a paw over hers.

"It will be okay…" He said, though even his voice gave out a hint of fear. For a moment Harrin gave them a look of sympathy, but it was quickly replaced by a stern expression.

"Right – get up. We need to get inside by nightfall, and despite its size, it's still a long way off. We have dallied here too long. Sara began to protest but one look from the Wilddog silenced her.

He was not joking about it still being a long way off.

* * *

When they finally arrived it was sunset, and the air was bathed in a sickly red light. The brown stone turned Black in the poor light, hence the nickname – the Black Tower. The great towering pillars of termite mounds had long since been purged of their insect builders, leaving nothing but the empty shells, now home to something far more terrible. They passed two great towers, which seemed almost exclusively inhabited by Vultures, which stared down at the cubs enviously. One glared at Inti, before licking his beak with a greasy tongue. Inti kept his gaze fixed in front of him. All manner of foul things seemed to have coalesced to Golgorath in recent months. Snakes slivered to a fro, between the towers, and all took pains to stay out of _their _way. Many were poisoned, and a great many more could strangle the breath out of a creature five times their size. There were creatures that had come from faraway lands via rifts, creatures not seen in Africa for a lifetime. A leopard or two lingered around the palace. A Cheetah. A Hyena here and there. With great shock, Sara stared at a grey, black manned male Lion, clearly a Rouge from a nearby territory whom had sold his capacity for murder to Shai'tan. Inti saw him too and gulped, though inwardly he berated himself for assuming every lion they met would be on their side. It was no surprise. After nearly a year of Imperial occupation, there had been little alternative than to throw their lot in with the victorious conquerors. Even so, it made his eyes sting and his throat fill with bile to see it so plainly before his eyes. They stopped outside what appeared to be a cave, but was in reality, the entrance to the greatest of the Termite mounds. The Great Black Tower of Golgorath. A Vulture descended from the Tower towards them.

"Who approaches the Tower of Golgorath? Friend or Foe?" It croaked. Harrin gazed at it.

"Do you think I would have got this far if I was Foe? Idiot. I am Harrin. We Bring Rish'ut… A Gift." he said. The Vulture stared at them, then at the cubs.

"What joke is this? Why would they be interested in a few lion cubs? What…. Ah. I see… Well well well. I do recall now. You set out with Sekmet to seize the rebel Lion Pride… And now you have returned. In command no less, and Sekmet conspicuously absent." It said. Harrin's eyebrows widened.

"Sekmet has not returned? Has Bane?" He asked. The Vulture bristled.

"Not as far as I am aware. And who on earth is _Bane?" _It said. The Vulture grimaced. "I supposed you had better go inside… The fights are still on, and Rish'ut will not be pleased about being interrupted, but I think he would make an exception for this… Go on… And Good luck…" The Vulture said, before leaping back into the air, with a single flap of his wings. When he was gone, Inti Shuddered.

"Those winged rodents give me the creeps…" He said. Sara nodded in agreement. Harrin glanced at his soldiers who remained as still as stone.

"Come on then Lads! We've been away for too long! Let's get this over and done with, then we can chow down for some proper grub and maybe find ourselves a few bitches for the evening…" he said.

The other Wilddogs perked up at this. The Lion cubs were herded in front of the Wilddogs as they passed through the darkened corridors and twisting passageways through the termite mounds. Sara tried desperately to keep track of the many passages and opening that they came through, but was soon lost in a labyrinth of passageways, and Inti gave up a few seconds after. After what seemed like an hour, a noise ahead of them brought them to a halt. It was a sound like the rushing of wind, and the clashing of stone at once. Harrin paused as well, and then spat.

"Guess that bird was right about one thing. The fights are still continuing… this might get messy…" he said, and nudged the cubs forward.

"What fights?" Inti asked, cautiously. Harrin stopped, and then looked the boy up and down.

"There is a strict ban on unauthorized hunting, for over six months now. If a creature wants food, then they have to pay for it. With Sweat or Blood. As Rish'ut calls it. Sweat, means you do exactly what the Shai'tan do, when they tell you. Blood, means the pits. Contests. Fights. Whatever Rish'ut feels like. It's a game for him. Animals are pitted one another and allowed to batter one another bloody. They are given meat according to how well they fought. The weak swiftly die off. They get their meat… Rish'ut gets his soldiers, and his entertainment. And he gets to keep an eye on who is hunting who. Illegal hunting has recently become a rather terminal illness." Harrin explained. One of the Wilddogs snorted.

"Why waste your breath telling them?" he asked. Harrin snarled.

"So they understand how futile it is to try to escape?" Harrin asked sarcastically. The Wilddog in question gave a bitter laugh.

"If they try to escape, I'll cut their paws off… Claw by claw…" It said. Harrin stared at him.

"Oh you're so big a clever. You can terrorize a brat who's practically still drinking milk. Such courage." He said. The Wilddog growled and Harrin gave a small smile. Then he turned to Inti.

"But if you do try to escape – I'll let him." he said. Inti's smirk faded instantly.

They pushed forward, and the sudden jet of light bedazzled them as they entered the main chamber. A Sphere of white light, hover in the air above them. Harrin motioned for them to wait for a moment whilst he leapt over a pile of rocks towards a highest point, where, above an outcrop of rock, the Orange and Black forms of a Pair of Tigers, lay, watching the spectacle. The Wilddogs leaned forward to see what fight was in progress. It was a trio of Zebra, and a Gazelle. The Gazelle was being backed into a corner the by the trio, who lashed out with forceful kicks at the antelope. It was astonishing to see such genial and compassionate, if slow witted creatures, devolve into the fighters below. Inti winced when one of the zebra's hooves took the Antelope in the side of the head. It twisted, and then lashed back, its horns scraping deep into the zebra. It squealed with terror, and turned and ran for the exit, obey its primal instinct to turn and run away. As it neared the exit, there was a flash of green, and a snake struck at the zebra. The zebra reared and fell, and struggled for a few moments as the snake struck and struck again. After a few minutes the zebra stopped moving, venom coursing through its veins. The fight was adjourned at that point, leaving the pair of zebra, and the gazelle beaten, but alive. Inti was repelled. He turned to the Wilddog next to him in shock.

"_Prey!? _You make _Prey _fight one another! What for? They can't eat one another." The Wilddog looked disturbed.

"Well… I always favored the underdog…" It said, troubled. Then it shook itself.

"Just a stupid zebra…" It said. If it was concerned, then no one else was. The Edges of the Pit were crawling with other animals screaming with delight at the sight of the blood and the thrill of the fight. Sara thought she was going to be sick.

"Lord Rish'ut and Lord Amun want to see us now – before the next fight starts."

Harrin said as he returned to them. Inti stepped backwards, glanced at the passage he had come in, then at the green serpent that guarded the door, wondering if he should make one last dash for freedom. But by then, one of the Wilddogs had already seized Sara at her waist and was being carried over the rocks that blocked their way. That settled it. There was no way he was going to abandon his sister in this Kings forsaken tower. Sighing, he closed his eyes. And allowed himself to be carried towards the Shai'tan.

Harrin lead them upwards to the Shai'tan.

* * *

**AN:**

**There you go everyone! I hope that has made up for some of the missed time. A nice slice of information, concerning the Shai'tan, and Pridelanders, and the Asiantics, and definitely is moving the plot forward. I hope you are all enjoying it! If you are, please leave a review, telling me what you liked. If you didn't, please leave one telling me why. If you are apathetic, then please, tell me which parts caused this. Seriously, you guys are out of excuses. Get reviewing.**

**:Cracks Whip:**

**Just kidding.**

**Anyway, back to reality. Hope you guys are all having a great summer. And as always, please ignore the grammar/spelling errors I know are present.**


	9. Chapter 8 - The Lord of Golgorath

**"Aaaaaaaaaand, Chapter 8. Congratulations and well done to any readers from the UK, who will be (or have already received) their AS/A2, and next week (?) GCSE Results. Congratulations to all of you.**

**A word of warning.**

**The following chapter contains some scenes of brutality against a child. I do not in anyway condone violence against children, animal or human, or against adults, animals or human. I really shouldn't need to say it but then you'll always get that one psycho who thinks that I must clearly be in support of such atrocities because a villain does some crazy stuff.**

**Just wanted to get that cleared up. This is _not _a story for young children. The story is marked Teen – and though I encourage you to use your common sense, I live in the mantra: Sense isn't common, Knowledge isn't general.**

**Of course this announcement may just be to build up tension. Maybe, everyone will be happy and cheerful in this chapter… Maybe everyone will survive! Maybe I just want to mess with your heads and build up the tension to incredible amounts, for both my entertainment and yours!**

**I guess we'll see won't we?**

**So what are you waiting for? Read the chapter – and remember to leave a review!**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Lord of Golgorath**

Rish'ut had retreated from the overlook from where he observed the Fights, to an ante chamber. Whilst Sekmet had taken up residence in one of the deeper caves, undisturbed by the others in the Tower, Rish'ut preferred the highest den – the air was marginally cleaner, dryer, and smelled less of damp and mould than Sekmet's enclave.

A Wilddog stepped towards him, and Rish'ut gave a small smile.

"They are here?" He asked. The Wilddog nodded.

"Would you like us to wait for Lord Amun before –"

"If I wanted them to wait, I would have had them wait. Bring them in _now. _Amun can catch up in his own time. I want to see them immediately." Rish'ut snapped impatiently. The Dog nodded. Behind him emerged half a dozen Wilddogs. The two in the middle held a pair of Lion Cubs in their jaws. Rish'ut gazed at them.

"Who Commands?" He asked.

"I, Harrin." Said the leader. Rish'ut looked at the whole party.

"Is this all? Twice your number left in search of the Lion Pride…" He observed. The Wilddog named Harrin shifted.

"There were complications. A number of our comrades were killed acquiring these pair of cubs." The dog answered. Rish'ut shrugged indifferently.

"Where is Sekmet?" He asked. Again the dog took a moment to respond.

"We believed her to have returned here by Gateway. It appears she and Bane are still missing." Rish'ut took this news with a sour expression.

"Make for full report. Succinctly." he said. The dog relaxed and recounted the tale, of how the Shaman had attacked the tree of Life, and fought Rafiki. The duel had ended in stalemate when both sides were rendered unconscious by the exploding energies. Then he said something that made Inti stand up and blink.

"The Shaman murdered one of my comrades with some kind of black magic. The result was… unpleasant… but resulted in the creature that called itself 'Bane'. As distasteful as the practice was, I cannot argue against the results. With only a drop of the Prince's blood, he found the Pride's trail. We tracked them across the Great Desert and to the Jungle's edge, and struck again. Almost at once it went disastrously wrong." Rish'ut growled.

"How so?" He asked. Harrin stared at Rish'ut.

"The Lady Sekmet is a supremely gifted fighter – but she doesn't have the mind of a tactician. She couldn't keep herself out of the fray, and forsook any attempt at ambush, surprise, or subtly. The attack had no structure, no backup plan, and no focus. With Marsade gone, it fell to Bane and Sekmet to lead my troops. We were slaughtered." Harrin said. Rish'ut stared at him.

"You are a brave one, Harrin. Your forget yourself." He said. He held up a claw and slashed at Harrin. Harrin gave a loud bark, and leapt back, crouching low, and began to growl softly. Instantly, the other Wilddogs backed next to him."

"_I have never heard of a more accurate description of Sekmet in my life." _Another voice said. All heads turned as another great figure strode into the cave. He was taller than Rish'ut, but a pair of Scars ran over his face from forehead to neck, straight across his snout. Amun moved with the cool grace of a cat, lightly on his feet. His claws were sheathed, but his front paws and legs were covered in small lines, scars innumerable that crisscrossed their way up his limbs. One canine tooth protruded from his jaw, chipped at the top where it had been struck out of place, leaving his with a permanent smirk. Rish'ut paused.

"How good of you to join us, brethren." he said.

"How good of you for inviting me." he replied coolly.

"How long were you lurking their?" Rish'ut asked calmly, but his eyes where narrowed.

"Long enough. Why does it bother you?"

"I like to know where the snakes are, before I lie in the grass…"

"Very wise. I see one right in front of me, and I do not refer to the Wilddog. Stop your prancing around and focus for once. Please forgive my associate – no doubt he merely sought to remove a twig from your coat."

"No doubt." Harrin said carefully, whilst Rish'ut brooded.

"Do continue with your report." Amun said. Harrin nodded.

"When the tide of the battle began to turn, I and my predecessor acted, taking the cubs and retreating to a safer distance." Harrin said. Amun smiled.

"You mean you made good your escape. What of Bane and Sekmet?"

"The Shai'tan was too busy tearing a youth limb from limb to notice – by that point she had fully descended to a berserker rage. I lost track of Bane almost as soon as we entered the fray. We took these." He said, and finally pointed to the lion cubs, quite forgotten about in all the commotion. Instantly, all eyes were upon the cubs. Sara shrank back, and Inti leapt to his feet and snapped at Amun's paw as he approached. Amun casually struck him as if swatting a fly with the back of his paw. Inti gave a loud gasp for air as it was forced from his lungs. Sara gave a quiet squeak.

"You've done very well Harrin, better than could have been expected given Sekmet's incompetence." he said. Rish'ut gave him a sharp look.

"Sekmet is –"

"A fool." Amun said calmly. "A violent, unstable, emotional wreck and a fool. An exceptionally dangerous fool, but a fool nevertheless." he said mildly. Rish'ut paused, but said nothing. Then he changed the subject, seemly forgetting how had nearly killed the Wilddogs moment before Amun interruption.

"Which of you is the Prince?" Rish'ut said, turning his attention to the cubs. Amun held up a paw.

"Rish'ut, please, use that bundle of cells between your ears." he picked up Sara in a clawed grip.

"This one is a girl." he said. Rish'ut eyes widened, and then narrowed in annoyance.

"What was the purpose in bringing her here then? You should have killed her immediately. This one is the prince." He said turning to Inti, unsheathing his claws.

"Now I'll finish this once and for all!" he said, taking a step towards him.

"NO!" Inti shouted desperately. Sara said nothing shaking in fear.

"Except of course for one thing…" Amun said. Rish'ut turned to him.

"What is it now Amun? Stop your prattling and do something useful. Inform the Emperor of this triumph."

"You could do that if you want Rish'ut, but I would advice against it. In fact, if you do inform the Emperor that we have captured and killed the Prince right now, I will be departing this blasted tower the moment you do so. I will not be within a mile of him." He said calmly. Rish'ut caught the tone in his voice. He snarled.

"What are do you mean? What trick are you trying to play here?" he asked.

"No trick. I was just curious about something."

"Curiosity? You know what they say about curiosity, Amun. What is it?"

"The Wilddog claims that between you, Sekmet, and the Shaman… you constructed a method of tracing the Prince via a single drop of his blood. I don't see how this can be so." he said calmly.

"He's a Shaman! Who has the faintest idea _how_ he does it, what matters is that he _does_!" Rish'ut snapped.

"And yet, neither of these cubs have a scratch upon them. From whence comes the blood then, if not from a wound?" Amun asked. Rish'ut froze. Then he roared angrily.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" he asked Amun, who shook his head, and Harin, who replied with the same. He paced up and down and then rounded on Inti.

"If you are not Prince Kiava, Son of Kovu, then who in seven hells are you?!" he bellowed. Inti said nothing. His mind was racing, trying to work out a way of surviving this. From what little he had seen of the Shai'tan, he had no illusions. As soon as they realized he was of no use to them, he would be killed, cub or not. And for wasting their time, it was liable to be a slow death. It was all he could do to stop of curling into a ball there and then. Is wasn't fair! He and Sara had done nothing – knew nothing. They weren't important, and yet here they were, standing between two warlords, awaiting his inevitable death for the crime of being mistaken for Kiava. Damn him… he fought. Why couldn't Kiava have found someone else to get caught for him!

"I am waiting!" Rish'ut, and struck at Inti again. He let out a groan as he was sent flying through the air and landed on the ground with a loud thump.

"Leave him alone!" Sara shouted, suddenly finding the courage to speak again at watching her brother being beaten blue. Rish'ut turned to her and his paw shot out, pinning her to ground on her back. Slowley, his claws unsheathed, hovering millimeters away from her eyes.

"Let's try that again shall we? Who are you?" Rish'ut asked. Amun watched the spectacle without comment. Harrin glanced at the great Tiger with the small cubs but didn't so much as flinch. Inti stopped, upon seeing his sister.

"No!" he said. And Rish'ut paused.

"Your name?" he prompted. Inti gave in.

"Inti. My name is Inti." He said. Rish'ut smiled pleasantly.

"You see? Not so difficult is it? And yours?" He asked the lion cub trapped under his paw. She stopped squirming, submitting.

"Sara…" She muttered. Rish'ut released her, and she crawled to her feet, running over to where Inti stood.

"Where is Kiava, Ex-Prince of these lands?" Rish'ut asked again. Sara hesitated, and Inti stepped in.

"We don't know. I saw him run away, but we didn't see him again until the Wilddogs found us." he said.

"And the rest of the lionesses – if they escape Sekmet, what will they do?" Rish'ut asked. Inti's mind raced, anxious to say something. Rish'ut caught the hesitation, and struck out again, never quite drawing blood, or causing lasting injury, but inflicting sufficient pain. Inti shouted out in protest.

"I don't know! I don't! Please, please stop!" he gasped. Rish'ut took a step back.

"They are useless too us. If the Emperor discovers this… unfortunate incident… then it will not be good news for anyone in this cave." he said. He motioned to the Wilddogs.

"Kill the cubs." he ordered turning away.

"No!" Sara shouted.

"Please!" gasped Inti.

"WAIT!" Another voice said. All eyes turned to Harrin.

"If I may my Lord? They may know something of importance they do not recognize, or else if the lionesses turn up again, they may be useful bargaining tools. Perhaps the lives of two cubs may be worth more than the life of a deposed prince, to these cubs' mothers? Leave them alive until they are for certain of no us to you." He spoke calmly. Rish'ut paused. Then nodded. He left the cave to watch more of the fights. Amun gave a smirk, as Harrin let out an audible sigh of relief.

"You must be getting sentimental… I will never know why you just did that, Harrin, but your are brave indeed to speak so to _The Lord of Golgorath_." he said sarcastically, mocking his companion's title.

"And you spoke in less than flattering terms about the Lady Sekmet… You are either very brave, or very stupid. Perhaps your talents lay elsewhere than in my Brethren's service… perhaps you and your pack will find yourselves more suited to tasks _I _have for you… Consider well. When I return from the task the Emperor has set me, the choice will be yours." he said. Harrin nodded slowly.

"What of the cubs?" he asked the departing Shai'tan. Amun gave a snort.

"Rish'ut was right about one thing. The Emperor discovering this failure would be an… inconvenience. Since the cubs have their lives for now, they can earn their continued health… Put them in the cells below. If they get hungry, they can dance for their dinner. In the Fighting Pits. I imagine the situation will resolve itself, one way or the other. Perhaps with their lives flashing before their eyes on a daily basis, they will recall something. If not… Well, we may have some fresh entertainment."

He said.

Inti and Sara both thought back to bloody fight they saw on the way inside the den. A fight between two prey! They were going to force them to fight in the pits! He thought at the variety of creatures he had seen in and around Golgorath, then remembered that each animal who didn't directly served the Shai'tan would have to fight for food. Snakes. Hyenas. Willdogs. Panthers. Groups of vicious predators, and desperate prey. He hadn't even begun to learn how to hunt yet! Kiava had taken one "lesson" as he called it from Danyal, but it was always Danyal, or Almasi, or else Damu or Vitani who had hunted. Now more than ever, he felt so very alone, and so very frightened. He struggled to his feet, still aching from where the Shai'tan had casually struck him. Harrin glanced at the swelling bruises as he led the way, seemingly knowing his way around the tower. As he led the way deeper into the spiraling catacombs, Inti cast one envious glance to where the fighting pits – and the entrance, and the daylight and the Pridelands lay waiting. Harrin shook his head.

"Be my guest." he said. "But there are four dozen of Rish'ut 'pets' between here and there, plus another dozen creatures who answer directly to the Shai'tan. You'd not get ten steps – and you look rough enough as it is." He warned him. Inti spat at him.

"Now is that a way to treat the person who just saved your life?" Harrin asked. Inti gazed at him contemptuously. No matter how low he sunk – no matter what the Shai'tan did to him – he knew that he would always, _always _be better than this filth, this _dog _ who seemed to own their very lives. Sara, gave a quiet, muffled word, that might have been a word of thanks, but it was drowned out by the roaring from the pits. The crowd of animals roared again, and Harrin knew that blood must have spilled. It would have been kinder to slit the cubs throats – but there was no way he was going to risk both Rish'ut's, Amun's and spirits knew who else's wrath by giving them that small mercy. The deeper they went the darker and more damp the air felt. There must have been an underground stream or river nearby. They stopped in front of a rock face, and seized a heavy boulder. It moved out an inch. When it had, he adjusted his position, to push his whole back against the rock. It slowly rolled out of the way, revealing a small cave, some long forgotten den from some burrower, he turned to Sara and Inti.

"In you go." he told them. Inti looked at the dark hole. it looked like the lair. A Gaping mouth seeking to swallow him whole. He stumbled back.

"No… Not on your life…" He whispered. Harrin's patience was wearing thin now.

"If I have to make you, I will. And if I make you, I'll be sure to lock your sister in a cell on the opposite side of this tower, so do as I say, _right now _or you will not be able to move, without hurting for _weeks. _He said. Inti recalled. Threats of pain meant nothing to him, but the threat of being sealed away inside the dark hovel, by himself, knowing that his sister was in the same state, but powerless to see, hear, or talk to her was more frightening than any threat of physical force. He gaped for a moment, then, not wishing to antagonize him any further, lest he carry out his threat, moved into the darkness, Sara following close behind. When they had done so, Harrin pushed back the boulder into its previous position. He shook his head.

"Sentimental my arse…"He muttered. Then turned away. he didn't look back.

* * *

The twin cubs watched as the final glimmer of light disappeared as the cave was sealed shut. Sara was shaking, and Inti's injuries hurt more than ever. Defeated, he fell to the ground, and began to sob quietly, not caring if his sister, his ancestors, or any living thing on earth saw him weaken. Sara laid down next him, he own tears long since used up.

"_Stop your sniveling... and whimpering… I should be able to sleep without having to listen to your whining." Said a voice. _Instantly, both the cubs went deathly silent and whirled around in fright, as a pair of dark red eyes stared at them out of the darkness.

* * *

**AN:**

**There you go guys. A Relatively short chapter in all. I bet all of you are desperate to know whose the red-eyes are, aren't you? Well, you'll have to wait, because in our next chapter, we return to Kiava's part of the story. Should give you plenty of time to get your theories in. Of course, there is an obvious choice… but hey – who said I was obvious… It has to be someone other than that, right? I mean – that's _too _obvious.**

**Of course, this could be me double bluffing… maybe it _really is _the obvious choice… or is that too subtle for me?**

**Well… I guess we'll all find out won't we?**

**Apologies for the rather brutal scenes for Amun, Harrin, and Rish'ut. But hey – these are not nice people. They are going to do some crazy things, and whilst I will never go overboard with messed up violence, and mature themes, I want to keep the characters "real", whilst not giving up the flavor of the Lion King. Humanity has proven time and time again what it is capable of. Some of that darkness must be reflected in the story for the good deeds of the Protagonists to shine through, _to be worth something. _If you feel this is something, I did well, or if you think I went overboard, let me know in the reviews so I can adjust as the story goes on. By the stories conclusion, I want everyone to be having a blast.**

**So long.**

**Haradion**


	10. Chapter 9 - Picking Fruits and Fights

**"Here you go people! How is everyone? Hope everyone is having a good summer, if you are still on holiday. Congrats to those of you getting GCSES another qualifications today. I hope you all got the grades you needed. Anyway, here is the latest Chapter, and we are returning to the Story of Kiava and Zuri. I am sorry that the plot seems so convoluted at times. If you are having trouble following it, let me know. I'll try to do an 'update' in the next AN. If not, I hope you are enjoying the story.**

**A slight irritation, that the spell check, kept trying to correct my spellings to the Americanised versions... Colour for Color, recognise for Recognize etc... It was annoying...**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Picking Fruits and Fights**

* * *

"Oranges…"

"Nope."

"Gourds?"

"Nope."

"Bananas?"

"That's the Third time you have said bananas! And it's still no!"

"But Monkey's like bananas!"

"Hey enough with the stereotype!" Ookai protested.

"Sorry. Look Ookai, I just don't think we are very good at this game… I guess lions play different games…" Zuri said.

"What? Guess the fruit is classic! I played it all the time as a kid!"

"What was it anyway?" Kiava asked.

"Olives."

"What is an Olive?"

"It's a small fruit, with a stone inside, mainly found growing in the Mediterranean, far to the north…" Ookai explained.

"Never heard of it…" Kiava said. Ookai sighed.

"Kids today. Can't you just enjoy the scenery?" He asked. Kiava laughed.

"Scenery? Like the poisioned berries we passed earlier… That lovely vine encrust tree that we discovered was a family of pythons… or that marvelous glade which turned out to be a pit of quicksand… I'd rather not think to hard about the scenery…" he said.

"That's the attitude that led us into the quicksand in the first place!" Ookai retorted.

"Hey – it was Zuri, that wasn't looking where she was going… She looked hilarious stuck like that!, With her front paws half a foot down the quicksand, with her but stuck high in the air! We had to pull her out by the back legs if you remember…"

Zuri frowned.

"It wasn't that funny…" She said. Kiava laughed.

"It was! You still have a brown front from sliding back on your stomach! And your face was covered in mud!" Kiava said, giggling." He burst out laughing. Zuri narrowed her eyes.

"It wouldn't have gotten nearly as muddy if you had just pull me out when I asked you!" She said. Kiava was still laughing.

"You had to say please first!" He exclaimed. Zuri swatted at him.

"I said please. Several times. I practically begged you to pull me out… It was really mean!" She said angrily. Kiava sobered.

"Sorry – I was only kidding…" He said. Zuri pouted.

"Really Zuri – I _am_ sorry!" He said. Zuri looked up at him.

"Really?" She asked him, her eyes wide.

"Yeah – of course!" He said. Zuri smiled.

"Well then!" And with that, jumped on top of him. The sudden weight caught Kiava by surprise. He stumbled, tripped and fell forwards. Zuri leaned forwards, and rubbed his face into the muddy ground.

"Hey – Zuri, Agh! Get, Agh! Get off!" He protested as he squirmed beneath her, as she burst into fits of laughter. When she finaly released him, his own face was covered in mud.

"Happy now?" She asked him. In response, Kiava spat a gob of mud out of his mouth on to the ground.

"Joyful." He said irritably, glaring at her.

"It serves you right!" She reminded him. When he still didn't look at her, she walked up next to him, and leaned on him, brushing next to him for a moment.

"Aww… Have I hurt 'is little feelin's?" She teased. Kiava pushed her off him.

Ookai watched the pair for a moment before shaking his head.

"So… Those are the sort of game lion cubs play… Glad I am not a lion…" He said. Then he looked around.

"Ugh… guys?" He said. He tapped Bruce on the shoulder, and the gorilla stopped. The cubs continued to play without taking much notice.

"Guys! Kiava, Zuri! Stop a moment!" he said. The two cubs turned around, instantly alert, all thoughts of their game banished for the moment.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Zuri asked. Kiava crouched low into the grass, instinctively. He pressed a paw to the wound in his side. It was barely more than a scratch now. Surely he would know if the Shai'tan or the Wilddogs were near? He said nothing though. Ookai looked around.

"I thought I smelt… Never mind."

"Might was it Ookai?" Bruce asked.

"Never mind big fella. I just thought I smelled something odd." he said. Bruce smiled.

"That's a relief. Because I was just thinking, that this part of the Jungle is similar to where you met that Leopard. In fact, it's Identical. Funny that isn't it?" Ookai nodded.

"Yeah. Very peculiar. Let's get going shall we?" He said, trying to move on.

"Hang on." Kiava said, looking around.

"I thought you said this leopard was after you for selling him some rotten meat?"

"In my defence, I was bargaining for my life." Ookai protested. Kiava sniffed the air. He shook his head.

"Where is Inti when you need him? His sense of smell was always the best... I bet he is sitting back their in the Jungle with Danyal and Vitani, having a nice leg of Zebra, and having a great time right now... Never mind.

Zuri, can you smell something... leopardish?" He asked. Zuri laughed.

"Leopardish? Is that a word?"

"I just said it didn't I? Can you smell it?" He asked her. Ookai was look very nervous. Zuri closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. There were a billion different smells in this jungle. Mud and plants and flowers and leaves and insects and other small animals. And fainter, larger animals of all sorts. The oily scent of snakes, and the smell of damp fur. For a moment, she thought she smelt something like a leopard, but then it was gone.

"Definitely a leopard in this surrounding area... We are close to where one roams... but I don' t think there are any nearby..." Zuri said. Ookai let out a sigh of relief.

"Thew! That's great. I thought I smelled one earlier. Still, even if we do come across one, I am sure Kiava can handle him..." Ookai said. Kiava blinked.

"Uh... Yeah! Sure. No problem..." he said, looking nervously at Zuri, who's eyes were wide.

"Forget it. In a jungle this size – the chances of us coming across the same Leopard are a hundred to – OOH!" He shouted as a ball of Gold shot through the air, and seized the small golden monkey. He was sent flying of Bruce's back. The Great gorilla took a step back, startled.

"Ookai!" he shouted. Kiava and Zuri leapt to their guide's aid, staring at the golden figure, who now sat atride the golden monkey pinning him to the ground.

"No! Please don't kill me! I didn't know it was rotten!" The Monkey screamed. The leopard drew its claws.

"I am not going to kill you, monkey, but I am going to give you a stomach ache of a different sort!" He said, drawing a claw, and holding it atop the monkey's belly.

"Hey!" Kiava said. The Leopard turned around.

"Stay out of this!" he said.

"What's your problem! You can't just go around attacking people!" Zuri said angrily. The Leopard laughed.

"Who says?" He said. Kiava stared at him.

"I bet your parents do?" Kiava suggested. Only then, did it dawn on Bruce that this was indeed a very small Leopard.

"Ookai – You never mentioned that the "Leopard problem" Was a cub!" Kiava said in annoyance. Ookai, from his place on the ground groaned.

"Is this the time?" He asked. Kiava shook his head angrily.

"And you had me worried that you had a mark on your head from a fully grown vicious killer! I thought I was going to have to deal with a great big monster! Not just some kid!"

"From my perspective, 'Vicious Monster' is subjective. Can You lend a Paw!"

"You made me think I might have to try to fight a great big Leopard when you just didn't want to admit that you were caught by a child! I can handle a spoilt, angry, brat any day!" Kiava said confidently. The Leopard stood up and turned around.

"Excuse me?" He said. "What did you just call me?" He asked. Kiava smiled.

"A spoilt, angry, brat! Why else would you go around, picking fights with little tiny monkey's who can't fight back? You are just a bully!" Kiava taunted him. Zuri glanced at the fury that now appeared in the insulted leopard's eyes.

"Uh, Kiava? Not a good idea!" She squeaked but Kiava was on a role. He had spent the last year of his life being chanced to the ends of the earth by a group of vicious, fanatical murder's who had butchered his family and stolen his birthright. Occupied his lands. Even as a child the injustice of it stung, and there was no way he was willing to back down from a bully throwing his weight around. At last, there was an enemy who he could actually fight. For so long he had run. He extended his claws.

"Why don't you pick on someone bigger than you? Scared-ey cat?" Kiava taunted, and Zuri noticed that it was true. The Leopard was older than Kiava, and maybe was stronger, but as a lion, Kiava was already taller and wider than his adversary. The Leopard was un perturbed.

"When my family ate that meat, everyone became sick for a week. For a week, we had the runs! Unable to run, hunt, or fight. If Predators had found us then, we would have been _helpless!" _He said angrily. Kiava snorted.

"You shouldn't have tried to pass it off as your kill should you? If you hadn't been so lazy –" He never finished. IN a rage, The leopard cub charged at him.

"Got you..." Kiava muttered. And then they collided. it was scarcely a duel. Hardly a life and death fight to the end. But life on the run had prepared Kiava, and showed him how to survival. He ducked under the leopards front legs, and head butted upwards, hitting the cub in the regions below the waist.

He tumbled to the ground in pain gasping for breath. But when Kiava tried to pin him down, the Leopard struck at him with drawn claws, cutting light scratches into the Prince, not quite drawing blood but leaving red marks. Kiava responded in Kind and before long the two boys were rolling over one another, then suddenly, Kiava was on top. He slashed with his claws, aiming eyes, not to blind the young cub, but to keep him focused exclusively on defending himself. It didn't work. The Leopard was able to get him legs under Kiava and throw him off. Kiava landed on his feet however, and even as the leopard was crawling to his own feet, Kiava was running flat out towards him. They collided, and the Leopard was sent flying through the air. He landed on his side with a grunt. The young leopard groaned.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" He asked. He had a few bruises, and his lower lip was bleeding, but he was otherwise unharmed. Kiava was breathing hard, and his own forehead was bleeding slightly, but bar a few scratches and a few minor cuts – he too was unharmed. Kiava grinned despite himself.

"By watching a lot of fights..." He said, between sharp breaths.

"Yeah same here..." The Leopard said. Then he spat at Kiava. The ball of saliva caught him in the face, and stung his eye, causing Kiava to close his eyes tightly, trying to rub the slime out of his eyes. The instant he was blinded, the Leopard cub darted past him, and leapt over Zuri's head. He landed behind her, and he gave one shout before he had pushed her to the ground, and stood over her, both sets of Claws extended.

"Now Go! Leave the Monkey here, and get out of here, and I'll let her go. Move towards us, and I'll leave her with a few nice Scar's before I leave!" He shouted. His slaw tightened around her, but his voice shook slightly. Zuri didn't move a muscle, but her eyes were wide. Kiava instinctively moved towards her.

"I'll do it!" the Leopard shouted angrily. Kiava punched the ground in frustration.

"I beat you!" He shouted. "Go away and leave us alone!" he said.

"Not until I have taught that bloody monkey, never to mess with my family!" The leopard responded. Ookai – fronsen where he had stood until now, eyed the situation cautiously.

"She hasn't done anything to you! Bruce! Do something! He protested. The Gollira – with his huge bulk, paused uncertainly, but the Leopard shifted his weight so that he sat behind her.

"Oh no you don't!" He said, as Bruce made to intervene. He paused looking to and from them, then back to Opkai for guidance. Kiava stared at him, unsure what to do.

"Calin! You let that poor girl go at once! This instant!" A Voice shouted. And out of the jungle undergrowth, stepped another figure. A great, big, fully grown, male Leopard. He was Danyal's size – that is to say, compared to the cubs and Ookai, huge. He bared down at them. Kiava stepped back in fright, at the shear anger glowing in the leopard's eyes.

"Dad!" The Leopard shouted in surprise and fear.

"What have I told you about picking fights!" The Leopard asked angrily. He turned to the lion cubs.

"Are either of you two injured?" He asked, looking suspiciously at the cuts and bruises on Kiava. The Lion's shook their heads.

"Just a little shaken up..." Kiava said. The Leopard nodded.

"Are you hurt Calin?" He asked. The Leopard shook his head.

"_That's _a relief. He looked at the monkey's and his eyes narrowed."

"Ah. Ookai. I see." he sighed. "Has my Son been bothering you again, over that meat?" He asked the ape. The monkey shrugged.

"I was given to understand that he holds a grudge..." He said. The Leopard sighed.

"I apologise most sincerely. My Son is... difficult... at the best of times. I think he took that whole episode personally. I am sorry." He said.

"But Dad!" Calin protested. the adult leopard roared.

"Shut up! You are in enough trouble as it is! You are not a baby! You know how to hunt _small _prey. You know not to eat _carrion_! It was your own childish behaviour that caused that mess, _not _the monkey, and instead of taking responsibility for once, you behave like a spoilt brat!" He shouted at his son. The cub bowed his head in shame and looked as though he was about to cry. Zuri felt a pang of sympathy, that was quickly replaced by a sense of satisfaction."

"Now apologise to these people at once!" He snapped at his sone. The Leopard glanced at his father angrily.

"Sorry..." he muttered.

"Get up and do it properly, before you land in even more trouble!" His father snapped again. The young leopard hesitate for a moment, before standing up, and bowing to each of them in turn, grinding his teeth as he did so.

"I am sorry, for my behaviour..." He said to each of them in turn. Zuri, who was last, almost burst out laughing at what was clearly a leopard custom. Lion of course, would bow to no one, save the king. Clearly, the case was different to a leopard. At her giggles, the leopard glowered even more.

"Now – go back home, and get in the den. I'll think of some other punishment later. Attacking other people – other cubs – at your age. It's astonishing.

"The den? But its mid afternoon!" he protested.

"Did I not make myself clear?" His father said, angrily. Before the cub could respond, the undergrowth was parted yet again and yet another leopard emerged, this one female.

"Calin! Harin!" She shouted.

"I heard noises, and roars –"

"Its okay Serina, our _Son _was just entertaining guests..." Harin said, and quickly explained the situation. Serina sighed.

"Honestly Calin..."

"I know! I said I was sorry!" He protested. Serina looked as though she wanted to say more, and looked Kiava up and down to see if he was injured.

"Thank you for not hurting my Son... I understand you were defending your friend, and that you showed a little more restraint then he did... despite you clearly being a more... experienced fighter. Not that I condone that sort of behaviour in children..." She said. Then she froze.

"Wait..." She said. "I know you..." She whispered in shock. Suddenly, Kiava recoiled, as a memory shook him.

"Well, nice meeting you, look at the time! Got to go!" He said, and pushed ahead of him. He got three steps.

"Wait a moment! Kiava!" She said. Kiava's shoulders slumped and as he turned around.

"Hello?" He asked her, his eyes pleading.

"Kiava, Kiava the –"

"Just Kiava, maam. Just Kiava." He said, quickly. Harrin's own eyes widened.

"Calin – go back to the den, Now!" He said. Shocked, and without protest, the leopard cub fled from his parents. Ookai stared at them in confusion.

"Wait, you know each other?" he asked. Serina nodded.

"There was an... incident... a while back. Almost half a year ago. We had a run in with a pack of Wilddogs... Kiava's friend lent a paw – and saved us. Kiava's... mother... was less than pleased that they had got themselves involved." She said, adjusting the truth slightly. Kiava sighed with relief, terrified for a moment that she was going to reveal his title to Ookai. Kiava didn't yet trust the monkey enough to tell him that much. Kiava nodded in agreement.

"Yeah – she was furious..." He remembered.

"Where are you family now? Are they... Okay?" Serina asked cautiously. Kiava hesitated. Then he put on his biggest, widest, falsest smile.

"yeah... We are just on our way to them now! That's why Ookai is here. He is guiding us through the Jungle, back to the Mountain Pride." He said. Serina hesitated.

"The Mountain Prides? That's... a Long journey." She said. Harrin stared at them, and glanced at his mate for a moment. Then he spoke.

"I know our families were quite close..." He lied. "I am sure your _mother_ wouldn't at all mind if you stayed with us for a while..." He said. Zuri's breath caught. And Kiava hesitated. Sure, Calin had proven to be impulsive, but not unlike regular cubs. And he could see through the language they were using. Harrin and Serina were offering him a choice, to stay with them. He hesitated still. Then he shook his head.

"I don't think that would be a good idea..." He said.

"I am sure –"

"No." He said. "If I stay for too long, my family is already wondering where I am..." He said. _The Shai'tan are looking for me._

"And you know what they are like – I wouldn't want to be you when they found me!" He said. _If the Shai'tan found me._

"Just think. Besides, you are already looking out for one kid." _Think about you son... _He finished. Serina hesitated, and Harrin's eyes widened. Then he nodded in acceptance.

"Very well. Travel safely then he said."

They parted with the Leopards after that. They travelled in silence for about ten minutes, before Ookai sighed.

"I get the distinct impression that you said something quite important then, to those leopards." He said. Kiava sighed, thinking for a moment. He would have loved to stay in the Pridelands. He would have loved to have stayed with that family. But how could he – knowing there was a chance that the Curse, or whatever it was, might still be drawing the Wilddogs to him. His only chance was to keep moving, day after day. Keep moving, until they were so far away, even the Wilddog's curse couldn't track him.

"They were just friends. Friends of the family..." Kiava muttered.

* * *

**AN:**

**And there you have it! Who recognised the Leopards from Book 1? And who thought the Leopard in question was a cub? I guess it hurt Ookai's ego to have been running from the equivalent of a 12 year old! Still, even he wasn't so strong compared to his Dad. And even though he was arrogant, and more than a little selfish, he wasn't that bad. For the record – despite threatening both Ookai, and Zuri – he was never going to kill them. He was still just a kid. He might well have injured them though, particularly Ookai.**

**I like that family. Moral of the chapter Kids, don't go around picking fights. I know My parents would have gone mental at me!**

**It was also sad to see Kiava reject life with a family yet again.**

**So please leave a review!**

**I am going away for a week, though I will still be reading, and answering PMs, I won't be writing any more. Just going to visit some relatives.**


	11. Chapter 10 - Koron

**"And here comes Chapter 10. This continues directly following where we last left Sara and Inti. The Chronology isn't always clear – but all the three main Storylines – The Twins, The Exiles and The Asiatics can be seen as happening at the same time. The Shaman – which will be told in Book 3, is also going on at the same time. If there are any questions regarding the Chronology, ask in a PM, or in addition to your review. As always, I did screen for typos, grammars, spellings and continuities, but if I missed a few, please, bare with me. One day it will all be fixed.**

**Thanks very much, and enjoy.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Koron**

* * *

"Stop your sniveling and whimpering… I should be able to sleep without having to listen to your whining." Said a voice. Instantly, both the cubs went deadly silent and whirled around in fright, as a pair of dark red eyes stared at them out of the darkness.

The pair of eyes moved slowly towards them, and as their own eyes adjusted to the darkness. Inti flinched back. Sara stared. The voice came again, clearly belonging to the same owner as the pair of eyes.

"Since you've already woke me up, mind telling me just who you are?" The creature asked. Inti remained silent, but Sara, after glancing at her brother finally spoke.

"Ummm… I am Sara… and this is my brother Inti…" She said, unsure about this creature. Who was he? One of the Shai'tan's creatures? Why would he be down here in this hole?

"Huh. You must have done something pretty big to bug the Shai'tan if they sent you down here… Your too young to be here by choice. The ones they _like_ tend to die quicker…" The voice said. Inti, gaining some courage from the distain of the Shai'tan in the creature's voice, spoke up.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" He ordered, trying to show some authority in his voice. The eyes moved closer, and a flash of silver revealed a set of teeth – a grin, smiling in the darkness. Sara pressed her paws to her eyes, trying to make them adjust faster. When she opened her eyes, she gasped.

"You're… a cub?" She said in confusion. The cub smiled in amusement.

"How ever did you see through my disguise?" It said. Inti saw that she was right.

It was a lion cub. Small by lion standards, but not unusually so. His fur was a dark, caramel brown and he boasted a tuft od hair on his head the same colour. At least it might have been brown, but the fur was matted with dried blood, dust, sand and generic dirt that it was hard to tell. It was ragged, filthy even – not groomed in the slightest. His eyes were a chilling scarlet and the only colour that showed in the dark. As they stared at him, so did he loon at the two of them.

He gave a quick snort, unimpressed.

"So. A _girl_ and a _weakling_. Typical…" He said with contempt, and then turned away from them. He sulked back to where he had been sleeping earlier. Sara was momentarily too shocked to say anything, but Inti's pride was instantly stung and he snapped his teeth.

"Who are you calling weak? I bet I am twice the lion you are!" he snapped angrily. For a heartbeat, the lion cub paused, and then he whirled around – his own pride stung and for a moment, Sara thought he would attack her brother. Instead, he only glared at his opponent.

"You were the one bawling just a moment earlier! Crying like a baby! How do you think that you'll survive here like that? You'll be dead in less than a week!" He said. Inti stopped. Then he slowly slunk to the ground. He had no response to that.

"Who are you?" Sara asked hesitantly. "What are you doing here?" The cub didn't even bother to look at her.

"My name is _Koron_. Will that shut you up? I am trying to sleep." Koron said. Sara paused, but her own curiosity got the better of her.

"We're not weak you know. I am not. And neither is my brother. We've endured worse than this already – and we've survived that." She said, trying to sound confident, hoping that it was true. In answer the Cub gave a cynical chuckle.

"You might survive for a while then. If you've survived worse, than I pity you, but I don't think for a moment you have…" He said. Sara gulped, and Inti managed to work up a response, putting on false bravado.

"Why? It's not too bad? Sure, it's dark – and full of bugs – but –" He didn't finish. He was interrupted by a strange sound. His eyes widened, as he realized that Koron wasn't just smirking. He was _laughing. _He giggled in mirth that Inti didn't understand.

"You bloody fool…" Koron whispered.

"You don't understand… You are in _Golgorath_! This tower isn't a prison! It's a tomb! _This_ place… is your sanctuary, not a Cell! You have nothing to be frightened of here… _Out there… _Is where the true terror lies_..." _He said. As he spoke, his eyes flinched, as if haunted by a memory, or a group of memories. Then it was gone. They hardened into red sheets of steel. Blocks of the hardest granite, showing nothing, telling nothing.

"You don't understand…" He whispered again, staring at the two young cubs. He was right – they would not last a week.

Inti and Sara stared at him in shock.

"Then explain it to us… please… if it's as bad you say…" Sara pleaded. Koron glanced at here then he sighed.

"You are not going to let me get any sleep are you?" He asked, not expecting an answer. When the cubs remained silent, he sighed.

"The Shai'tan have an… arrangement… in the area to maintain control of the local population. Since the scavengers culled half of the herds, there is a huge competition for food. The Shai'tan give food in exchange for loyalty. Those who can't serve the Shai'tan or _won't. _Find themselves in the Fight pits. You fight and you get fed. If you don't die anyway. The Shai'tan's cronies satisfy their lust for blood – and get given their food without giving to hunt at the same time. Sloth, Gluttony, and a Lust for blood… the perfect combination to control a degenerate population of traitors and cutthroats…" he said.

That sounded like what Harrin had told here. Had it been Harrin? Or was it one of the other Wilddogs? To Inti, one was almost indistinguishable from the other. Either way, it seemed that with a year to consolidate their power, the Shai'tan had maintained a tight grip on the population. Vitani had been right – there would be next to no help from the other subjects of the Pridelands. They had already moved on – either sided with the Shai'tan, or accepted their defeat. Eitherway, it left no place for the Lions to remain free,

"How did you end up here?" Sara asked him.

_Which one are you? Traitor or Cutthroat? He doesn't seem like either… _Inti thought.

Koron's eyes narrowed.

"I don't trust you. I don't like you. Why would I tell _you _my life's story_? Its none of your business._" he asked. Sara bowed her head.

"Sorry…" She said. Koron nodded, accepting the apology.

"What do they want with us?" Inti asked, instead. Koron gazed at them.

"Hell if I know. For some reason they have kept you alive. I guess that means either you are of use to them, or you did something to particularly displease them… Either way, they want your death to be slow. Othwise they would have killed you outright…" He said. Sara shivered. Inti, seeing her rounded on Koron.

"Stop it! You are scaring her!" He said angrily, bearing his teeth at Koron. The other cub wasn't threatened.

"The world is a scary place now. Get used to it." Koron snapped in response. Inti growled. Suddenly, a small chink of light appeared in the cave behind him. Koron smiled.

"Ah… You might want to look at this. The games are about to begin." he said, moving over to where the light came from. It dazzled Inti, but Koro stared through unflinchingly. Inti scowled at him, but moved over to see through. The crack in the cell wall opened out onto the pit.

"I won a bet with _Tythes_. He's a snake that patrols the pit for runaways. I got him to move a rock, so I could see the fights. He replaces it when it's over, but I get to see through. I suggest you make use of it." Koron explained.

Inside the pit there was a huge creature. Great, grey, and each step caused dust to spin in the air around each beat. Each step boomed through the tiny outlet into the constricting cave, makig it feel as though the ground shook with each of the creature's step. Inti edged closer to see what it was.

A Rhino!

The great tank of a creature stomped into the area, a few wounds on each rear leg showed telltale snake bites. Extremely painful. With only one way to move that didn't result in pain, it moved forward. Facing him, where three Panthers. All where young - one barley more than a cub, the others, Adolescents. Inti watched for a few moments, as the Rhinoceros was pushed forwards and charged towards the trio of cats. They split apart in different directions, as the rhinos own momentum carried is forward. As it did so, one of the Cats latched onto its back, driving its claws deep into the grey pelt. The panther cub struck as well, aiming for the venom-infected injuries which must have sent waves of pain through the Rhino. Its shrieked, and spun, its horn catching one of the cats in the side, sending it flying through the air. The other panther took advantage of its awkward position to strike at the now exposed neck, spraying more blood into the air. Then all three cats retreated and gathered again as a trio on the opposite side of the arena, in anticipation of the next charge. Inti looked away in disgust.

"That's horrible." He said. Koron didn't look away.

"It's you soon. You'll be out there. Or your sister. Or me. One of us."

"Against that Rhino?" Inti said in shock.

"Not by yourself you won't – they like to keep their matchups fair. It makes for more entertaining viewing. That might keep your sister safe for a while… But trust me – they have creatures to pit male cubs against…" Koron said, clearly speaking from experience.

"You'd have better luck against the Panthers… _If _you could work up the stomach to even look at them…" Koron said. Inti listened again. For the roars of anguish, and elation of the crowd. It repelled him.

"_This is wrong…" _He muttered. Koron glared at him.

"Well then you better get used to eating dirt, because the fights are the only way you are going to get fed! There are no parents here to feed you warm milk! Do you think ignoring it will make it go away? You really are weak!" Inti roared.

"I will_ not _die!" He almost shouted. Koron looked at him.

"You'll have your chance to decide one way or the other…" He said and left Inti alone. Sara moved over to him, and paid her head against his shoulder.

"We'll be okay. Harrin said the fights aren't usually… you know… they don't usually get killed." She said, looking over to the cub. That was true. Death fights would be bad for the whole system. Some people might risk skipping a meal if the alternative was to starve anyway, but very few would risk their lives on a single fight from which there would be no escape. As brutal as life on the Savanaah could be – there was almost always the option to flee – and fight another day. In the pits, there was nowhere to run. No way to retreat.

"How often have you fought in the Pits?" Sara asked him. Koron shrugged.

"I don't know… About… what? Two Hundred fights? Give or take? The first fight is always the hardest. They like to break you first." He said, motioning slightly to the white lines that ran across his cheek – dangerously near his neck. His throat. The twins stared at him aghast.

"How _long_ have you been here?" Sara asked in shock. Koron shrugged.

"I guess it's been about a year? Since Golgorath was taken over I guess…" he said, and din't say more as to how he had ended up on in this blasted place.

"You've survived for that long? How?" Sara asked. Koron didn't even look at her.

"By winning the fights – and not waiting until I am weakened by hunger to fight again. Fight when you're your strongest, even if that means going back out there. Because I like living – and I intend to remain alive. Even in a place like this, a cesspit of the world, life is still just too sweet for me to abandon it. I have seen dozens of people die in the past year, and I will _not _follow them. I won't."

Sara looked around with new hope in her eyes.

"See Inti! A whole Year! If we can survive for just a little while by ourselves, just until the others come for us…" She said. Inti said nothing. He stared down at the ground, not looking at his sister.

"What's the matter Inti?" Sara asked, fearfully. It was Koron who answered.

"No one is coming for you. And even if they did, they would die before they got into the Tower. If your family isn't already dead, then they are either going to die very soon, or else they have abandoned you. That's the way life is in the Imperium."

"That's not true." Sara said confidently.

"Mother wouldn't abandon me. Danyal wouldn't abandon me, neither would the others!" She said. Koron raised an eyebrow. Then he sighed.

"Fine. Believe what you like. But you might spare yourself more pain in the long run if you just accept it. Forget about surviving until rescue. I focus on surviving until tomorrow." He said.

"Right. Introductions out of the way, let me set a few things straight. This corner, is where I sleep. You can sleep wherever you want, but not here. That corner is where you should do your muck – its nearest to a few cracks in the wall, so the smell doesn't get too bad. Before you bother looking, there is one exit, the one you came through, and its sealed by a boulder that normally takes the strength of two grown Wilddogs to move – so don't bother. Food is whatever you win in the fights, or whatever you are given. If anyone tries to steal mine, I will make them wish they hadn't. Also, don't resist the guards, don't look the snakes in the eye, and never, _ever, _do anything to attract attention. Ok? After that, your survival depends on how well you fight. Class dismissed." Koron said.

Inti stared at him.

"I've never fought before, I don't even hunt!" Inti protested. Koron shrugged.

"Then you had better learn, or pray to whatever spirits or kings you believe in because you'll starve long before you get chopped to pieces out there. Trust me." Koron said. Then his ears twitched. Inti heard it to – footsteps.

"And you had better learn fast…" he said. As suddenly, the boulder that blocked the enterence was ripped out of its place, casting light into the tiny cave.

"Get out here… Intum?… Inik? You are up… there's a trio of Panthers waiting to meet you…" The Wilddog said, grinning. Inti's face filled with Horror. Sara face became one of total panic. Numb with fright, Inti turned, and stepped outside. His stomach knotted. He felt sick. They wanted him to fight… He thought back to the trio of Panthers. To the Rhinoceros. This couldn't be happening. But it was. As if realizing it at the same time, Sara darted towards him.

"No!" Sara shrieked, and thrashed, trying to get past the wilddogs.

"Shut it!" A Wilddog snapped, and slashed at her. Sara cried out and shrank back, cuts visible on her face. Inti couldn't move. He willed his body to move on, but he physically could not move.

"No! Kings No! Let me fight with his at least!" She protested again. Koron surveyed the pair impassively. Then he nodded making a decision. He darted under a Wilddog, and barged into the one that was half leading, half dragging Inti.

"The Youngest Panther – the other pair always move to protect it! And the male panther has a broken rip from the Rhino's horn!" He said quickly. The other Wilddog turned around sharply and snapped at Koron who darted to the back of the cave an disappeared from sight.

Inti managed to force himself to move forward, and the Willdogs sealed the cave behind him. He could still hear Sara's screams.

* * *

"What did you tell him!" Sara demanded of Koron, when they had gone. Koron nursed a bruise gingerly.

"I took note of where the panthers were injured. If he fights them, then he knows who to attack and where. If he has the guts to make use of it." Koron said. Sara stared at him.

"Thank you…" She said. Koron didn't reply. This time, he didn't move to the Crack in the wall, and Sara stared through it alone, watching as her brother was lead out to the Pits. The head snake addressed the gathered onlookers who chattered excitedly. He introduced the four fighters – the three panthers and Inti, the odds weighed heavily against him.

* * *

At the edge of the outlands, three shapes made their way through the dusty plains. They crested the dunes, keeping close the ground. It was similar to the desert. But no sand eased between their paws as they made their way through it. It was dust. Ash. Fine to the point of near invisibility. A thin layer dusted the hard ground. And though the sun didn't seem as harsh here, the dust seemed to leach the water from her pours, making the trek dehydrating, dusty, and uncomfortable. They didn't stop though. they eased passed the first black tower without batting an eyelid. A Vulture circled overhead, but saw nothing unusual. A Small pride? A collection of rouges? Golgorath had become neutral ground as far as personal disputes stood. Hyenas, outcasts from a hundred different clans, and a multitude of different packs of Wilddogs and jackals moved and interacted with friction, but without infighting.

So the three lionesses made their way into the outskirts of Golgorath without detection.

Vitani, Damu and Almasi eased together behind a rock, taking shelter from the sun. Vitani surveyed the barren wasteland with contempt.

"Home sweet home…" She muttered.

"It's more crowded than I remember it…" Damu said looking around.

"It's the Wilddogs. Mother had an almost genocidal hatred of the filthy things." Vitani observed. She could count at least fifteen of them here. A few eyed her cautiously, but most ignored her, assuming her to be one of the Shai'tan's lackeys.

"Mind you, she didn't trust Hyenas much either, – not after Scar's death - she never knew that _they _were responsible for her mates death, she certainly didn't love them for not preventing it." Damu commented.

"I don't care much for Hyenas, but as far as Wilddogs go, I am starting to come round to her way of thinking." Vitani spat.

The trio stared at the multitude of Towers. If the cubs were still alive, they could be in any of them. Or they could be dead.

"It could take weeks to even find them… Let alone free them." Damu said, stating what they were all thinking. Vitani nodded.

"I know a cave nearby. Actually, it's more of a tunnel into one of the lesser spires. if it isn't already inhabited, then we can stay there for now, and try to find the cubs… I just hope that they are still alive… I have heard nasty rumors about these pits…" Vitani said. Almasi nodded. If Vitani thought that this would discourage her she was wrong. The mother of the twins only seemed more determined.

"Let's get started." Almasi said.

* * *

**AN:**

**There we go. A Long chapter.**

**What do you think of Koron? Probably not who you were expecting!**

**Will Inti be alright? I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions… and wonder on his fate… He faces three Panthers. Despite Koron's claims, the fight is clearly stacked against him.**

**And although the Lionesses are near Golgorath, they are no closer to rescuing the cubs any time soon…**

**I hope everyone has had a good Summer – though mine is now effectively over, some peoples are just starting! So congratulations!**

**Also, good news! Chu10 and I are working on a selection of Covers for the series to replace the proxies I have been using. And by "Chu10 and I" I mean she will be doing all the artwork, and I will likely as not just end up bossing her around, whilst she patiently assimilates my suggestions.**

**So that's good news.**

**Goodnight everyone!**

* * *

_**As always, please, leave a review if you enjoyed it.**_


	12. Chapter 11 - Heaven's Eyes

**"After a long absence, I have remerged. A Birthday, a hell of a lot of work, then more chaos, of which I do not feel comfortable revealing online - has kept me away from the PC for weeks. I hope you know what it is like.**

**Once you get out of a habit, it is a killer to get back into it... Anyway, I hope that with a little effort – and with some of our reviews, I can get back into the rhythm – we are past the half way point of this book, to here is to the second half. My writing feels a little rusty, but I hope it is of the standard quality you are used to. Anyway, here goes.**

**Also, a word to the wise, check out my brother Kaladion's work: Legends of the Lion Lords, if you're interested in a different kind of read. I am just throwing that out there.**

**Oh, and one more thing, this chapter sees the return of the Musical Chapters that appeared in the last Book. Like last time, there will only be one or two in the book – but it will help to keep the flavor of the original series of which this Story is based upon.**

**So enjoy!**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Heaven's Eyes**

* * *

"Here you go – that's it!" Sundar exclaimed, and with a great effort, Danyal collapse onto the ground, gasping for breath. He was sweating heavily, perspiration forming on his head, and he was breathing heavily. Sundar looked past him. In just under six minutes, Danyal had managed to drag himself from where he had lain in the cave. Using only his fore-paws (with Sundar propping up his behind) he managed to drag himself from where he slept, motionless, for days. And it felt as though it had nearly killed him again. Dried blood cracked open along his wounds and old blood and puss dripped from the injuries. Were it not for his paralysis, it would have sent spasms through his body. Even that would have been better than the constant numbness that he felt instead.

Danyal sighed, heavily.

"All of that… Just to move a few feet." He said, dismayed. Despite it all, he had clung to the hope that eventually his injury would heal. It didn't seem likely, and each day he spent with no change only served to reinforce that notion.

"Sundar, Slayer – Helio has been hunting again, King – I mean, Lukaan wants to know if you want anything to eat?" A Lioness asked him. Danyal remembered her name. She was Harten, a dark chocolate colored lioness, not dissimilar to Sundar, though she was far more formal in both her attitude towards him, and towards other people generally. Sundar had mentioned that she found the habit to be worse now than when they had lived in their previous home, but even so, Danyal could not bring himself to dislike her. In fact, Danyal liked all of the lions in this tiny Pride from across the great ocean. Each one was respectful, gentle, considerate and good natured. Even Helio, who tended to speak without thinking, had a certain easy-going attitude which Danyal envied.

"Slayer?" Harten asked him again, jolting Danyal out of his thoughts.

"Don't call me that." Danyal said in annoyance. That bothered him. The other Lionesses in this strange Pride seemed to hold him in a higher respect and regard then he felt he deserved. It had been a difficult job to get Lukaan or Sundar to call him by his real name. Getting the other lionesses to call him _Danyal_ instead of _Slayer_ was next to impossible, but he had not given up yet. Sundar, noticing his brooding, answered for him.

"Harten, Please ask my Father to leave some meat aside for us – we'll be returning a little while later". She said. Harten nodded sympathetically and turned around, slinking back into the den to where Lukaan presumably sat. Once she had gone, Sundar turned to him.

"Alright." She told him, sounding concerned. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Danyal eyed her cautiously.

"Nothing." He said, shaking his head in annoyance. Sometimes he wished sh would just leave him alone. Sundar frowned.

"Something's bothering you?" She asked. Danyal smiled darkly.

"Oh no – nothings bothering me. It's not the fact that of the four cubs I was supposed to _protect_, two are prisoners, and probably dead by now. It's nothing to do with the fact that that the other two have gone without a trace and are now likely being followed by the impossibly reanimated spirit of a historical murderer and cub-killer, who has supposedly been dead for decades.

Aside from the fact that they are gone _because of me_, everything's just peachy! Then, there is nothing like a spot of permanent paralysis to let a little sunshine into your life. How's your life going? Recovered from the slaughter of your homeland yet?" He asked flippantly. Sundar listened as he vented his frustration, completely unoffended by his remarks. He seemed to be like that now, flipping between fiery rage and ice cold depression at random times. The other lionesses from his Pride had left three days ago seemingly abandoning him and since then, his mood had soured even further. Sundar sighed.

"Danyal, you need to stop blaming yourself. There was nothing you could have done differently." She said. Danyal snorted.

"How do you know? I could have done something… I could have killed Sekmet faster, or I should have gone after Kiava!"

"That you even survived Sekmet was nothing short of a Miracle - I have seen a few of your memories, remember? I know what happened from the others anyway, and trust me; no one blames you in the slightest! Stop beating yourself up over it!" She said angrily. Danyal fell silent.

"It is not the first time you know…" He said. Sundar paused. She looked at him. He was focused at the sky, burnt read with the sunset. The first stars coming out. The skies were oddly different by, some stars remained the same, no matter where you looked at them from. The brightest stars of the sky, The Warrior. The Hunter. The Lady and The Queen. And The Father. The five brightest stars in the sky were solidarity, singular and without order. Rouge Stars. Alone and distant. He stared at them.

"What isn't?" Sundar asked, probing him to finish.

"Me… Getting it wrong so badly. It's not the first time." he said, pain leaking into his voice. Real, genuine emotion, raw with hurt and grief and the agony of regret. Her powers made them, clearer and she could sense the tempest of emotions he felt.

"You _didn't _get it wrong!" She said. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair the way the universe had treated this lion. This brave warrior… She didn't know him in the slightest but those few brief moments having touched his mind meant she knew his feelings… she had touched the surface of his soul… Much was hidden, but a lot of it was evident to her eyes in that moment. She knew the lonely cub, who never had any one to play with. The reckless child, eager to fight for his home. The desperate youth, thrust unprepared into a world of responsibilities, responsible for not just one, but for four cubs, before he was old enough to be called a father. She had glimpsed it in seconds. He turned to her.

"I did then… I wasn't much older than a cub then anyway. It was in the first few months of the Invasion… back when we still thought we could fight back. When we took our own survival for granted… I was on patrol, and I heard screams. A Young leopard family had been running from the Shai'tan's thugs. I shouldn't have interfered… But I did. I killed one of the Wilddogs before he even knew I was there… I committed murder to save the life of a stranger. I didn't kill for meat, or for food… I just wanted him to die. So I killed him… _and that felt good… _To have the power to help people. To punish the wicked." He said. Sundar didn't know what to say. For the last three days, his conversation had been limited to one word responses to questions she had asked. And now he was speaking openly to her, and she was lost for words.

"It sounds like you made the right choice. You chose to help those in need." She said.

"To risk a kingdom was wrong, but to defend it with cruelty, by abandoning the helpless… That would be worse, I think." She said.

He slammed his paw into the ground.

"But that's just it, Sundar! Now I am helpless – and there is nothing, NOTHING, I can do about it! I can't fight – I can't hunt – I am useless! I am crippled! I am _Broken! _Even my death would have been better for my Pride!" he said bitterly. Sundar paused.

"To seek death… is to abandon hope. There is always hope." She said, thinking back to something her mother had told her once.

She thought he might have snarled at her. Snapped, or else ignored her completely. Instead he laughed. A Painful, cynical, mad laugh. He voice cracked and broke as he did so, sounding almost like a cry.

"Ahahahaha! HAHAHAHA! That's the best joke of them all! _Hope?" _He asked her. He pointed to stars.

"You see those stars? To you know what they used to tell the cubs in the Pridelands? I was almost an Adolescent when I came to them, but I remember hearing those stories… The King used to tell them to cubs, his own, and any of the younger cubs who would listen.

"_Those stars _he would say, _are the spirits of the great Kings of Past. The ones we love never truly abandon us, but remain in the heavens to guide us and help us when we most need it. The Souls of Mufasa, Mohatu, Judai are there for us. _Always_._" He said. Sundar listened, and looked up at the skies. She briefly wondered if her uncle was up there… watching her every move. It was comforting… to see them. Danyal lashed out, and slammed his paw into the ground, scattering dust, and jarring it with such force the rock cracked.

"It's all a filthy lie. One that we tell children when they are small. One we tell ourselves so we can sleep at night. The Promise of Immortality in the next life, just so we can come to terms with death in this one!" He said angrily. Sundar flinched.

"No Danyal… It's not…"

"IT IS! If there were Kings above with the Power to help us, then they would have never let Pride Rock Fall! They would never have allowed the Shai'tan out of your blasted homeland! They would never have done _this _to me!" He roared. And he roared. Not the childish growl of a cub, but the loud, echoing, rage of a Lion. Bitterness and loss echoing into the dusk.

"If there are Kings up there – then they forsook us long ago! Either they do not exist, or they simply don't care! Where is your _Hope_ in that, Sundar!" He snapped. Sundar hesitated. Then she lay down, turning her belly to face the sky, motioning for him to join her. He pointed with a claw.

"I have never heard of that story… or the Ancestors in the Stars… We didn't believe in the Stars as you did…

* * *

But we did have our own beliefs… The story in Asiantica, is that before the earth was formed, in that first empty void of nothingness, there was the Mother. And we say that the Moon, is her Eye, through which she sees the whole of creation. The stars are the souls of the first generation of beings to have ever existed… Before time or space or light or dark… before the earth was formed. The Mother created the beings of light and spirit alone. But they fought amongst themselves, each eager to prove themselves greater than the other. Smarter, stronger, greater. Their power nearly rent the Universe apart.

So the Mother of Universe, angered at the folly of her children, took their power from them – all of them apart from The Shadow, who fled in fear, hiding in the Void, cloaking himself in the night, in order to avoid her sight, lest he lose what little power he had. But the Mother took the remainder of her children's Power and formed their power into the earth, the sky, and the sea, stripping her children of their power and casting what remained upon the earth. Her children, powerless, took new forms, and grew into the life we now see. Lions… Zebra… Tigers… Vultures, plants, everything. And the Shadow fled to the earth, hiding on it, and hiding it, creating the night to terrorize his now defenseless siblings.

So the Mother rejected her son, The Darkness, and set the stars of the night, against the void, and Herself as the Moon, to dispel the darkness of the night.

The Stars are all that remains of their power, without form or direction, set against the darkness so that even in the darkest of night the Children of the Universe may see the light. The power of the First Generation that had been used to destroy, instead was used to comfort, to bring peace and guidance.

And when we die, we are reunited with that same, lost, power. And it is used to either to depart the universe, with greater wisdom, than before, and the lessons of mortal life learnt, or else to reemerge upon the earth. IN this was, as long as there is life on earth, there will be a star in the heavens. And when all stars fade, and the light of the universe dissipates, it will only be because, they are no longer needed. The day is over, and all life has returned to the heavens, abandoning heaven and earth, for the final world… Neither Day, or Night, but a new state of being, where light without darkness., Leaving the Darkness alone in the Universe." She said, completing the story.

* * *

Danyal, who had listened, seemingly captivated remained silent for a long while. Then he turned to her.

"That's the most ridiculous story I have ever heard. _The Moon _is the creator of the whole Universe? Inconsistent, changing, waxing and waning, never still and always vanishing… Foolishness." He said, but his words were without malice. Sundar only laughed.

"I told you it was a story! I never seriously believed it… But its important all the same, that there is always light in the darkness? No matter where you look? When there is life there is light – and when there is light, there is hope." She said. Danyal paused.

"Perhaps…" He said. "But Light isn't good… Light can destroy. Fire brings both light and it devours all it can, I have seen the Shaman Marsade make Fire his slave. And Light too, can betray ones location to enemies, where darkness can be your ally." he said. Sundar laid a paw on his.

"Only when you have to hide. And we shouldn't have to." She told him. Danyal smiled at that, but pulled his own paw away. It was night time now, and not for the first time, Danyal thought about the other cubs. Desperate, alone. He was being selfish, he knew it. His self loathing and pity didn't help anyone, and was trying for those who were his friends, but it didn't make his own pain any easier to bear. He was amongst allies at the very least – although not the family he wanted. But then he was used to being alone, used to being without a family. He sighed.

"Arguing Philosophy? Not quite the conversation I was expecting to overhear…" Lukaan said. Sundar jumped to his feet, and Danyal made a jerking movement, which might have been an attempt to move quickly, but was rendered not just sluggish but wholly ineffective by his injury. Lukaan chuckled to himself.

"_Father!"_ Sundar snapped in annoyance. Lukaan, pleased at getting the jump on his daughter simply smiled.

"I saved you some food – its in the Den if you want… But before we get to that, there is something you should know." He turned to Danyal.

"Princess Vitani told us –"

"Just Vitani, she always hated that title…" Danyal interjected. Lukaan paused. It was rude, but at least he was talking. Perhaps Danyal would heal in time. Maybe not the use of rear legs, that would never heal, but perhaps he would learn to accept his injury as part of himself.

"Vitani said that she would focus her efforts on rescuing the twins. However, she was at a loss as to how to help the other Two cubs. Although we didn't discuss the issue, I have been giving the matter some thought. It might be not be possible to trace where the cubs went, but they will be tracked by more… unearthly predators by Vitani's account. I don't know what to make of an undead Wilddog…"

"Lunch?" Danyal suggested. Lukaan laughed but shook his head.

"I don't particularly savor the possibility of that thing regenerating in my digestive system, do you?"

"Do you think it could do that?"

"How would I know? I just wouldn't risk it… My thought however, is that such a thing would almost certainly leave tracks. If we can't trace the cubs, we can in the least get the general idea of the direction the cubs are going. And if we can do that, then we can possibly predict where they will end up…" Lukaan said. Danyal nodded.

"Great Plan! Only one, tincey, wincey, tiny, microscopic little detail… _I CAN'T BLOODY WALK!" _Danyal snapped. Lukaan paused, and Sundar glanced at him apologetically.

"What's your point?" Lukaan asked. Danyal stared at him.

"How the hell am I supposed to go after the cubs, if I can barley move out of that blasted cave!" He snapped again. Lukaan shrugged.

"Is a Lion measured by how strong he is? Or by his ability to fight?" He asked. Danyal frowned.

"That is the traditional practice… All the Great Lions were great a might warriors…" He said. Lukaan shook his head.

"That is where you are wrong. You didn't kill Sekmet by being stronger, you killed her by being able to sacrifice yourself for a good cause. You saved those cubs before and you can do so again – not because you can fight, you're not even an adult – but because you have courage, will, and compassion! Sundar, you've seen his mind, correct me if I am wrong, but those qualities are what makes you a great Lion, not you ability to decapitate enemies." Lukaan said. Danyal gave a short laugh.

"The decapitation sounds a little more useful than useless, bag of meat!" Danyal said. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I think my part in all of this may be finished." Danyal said sadly. Lukaan shook his head violently this time.

"No, you don't yet understand…"

* * *

_Lukaan_

**A blade of grass in a meadow green**

**Though its color brightly shine**

**Can never know its purpose**

**In the pattern of the grand design**

**And the stone that sits on the very top**

**Of the mountain's mighty face**

**Does it think it's more important**

**Than the stones that form the base?**

**So how can you see what your life is worth**

**Or where your value lies?**

**You can never see through the eyes _you have_**

**You must look at your life**

**Look at your life through heaven's eyes**

Danyal paused.

"Very poetic Lukaan, but we need to be realistic here! I can't do anything to help then – I told Sundar already! I can't fight, I can't hunt I am useless and _Broken! I told her already, _my death would have been better for my Pride!" Danyal said.

Sundar answered him, continuing her fathers song.

_Sundar_

**A lake of gold in the desert sand**

**Is less than a cool fresh spring**

**And to one lost cub, a mother's touch**

**Is greater than the richest king**

**If a lion lose ev'rything he owns**

**Has he truly lost his worth?**

**Or is it the beginning**

**Of a new and brighter birth?**

**So how do you measure the worth of a lion?**

**In strength or skill or size?**

**In the lands he gained or the food he gave?**

**The answer will come**

**The answer will come to him who tries**

**To look at his life through heaven's eyes**

_Lukaan_

**And that's why we share all we have with you**

**Though there's little to be found**

**When all we've got is nothing**

**There's a lot to go around**

**No life can escape being blown about**

**By the winds of change and chance**

**And though you never know all the steps**

**You must learn to join the dance**

**You must learn to join the dance!**

The rhythm of the song echoed through the night, as a few of the other Lionesses emerged from their den at the sound of commotion, adding their own voices to the symphony. Danyal began to snort at their idiocy. If they wanted to make fools of themselves, it was their own affair. Helio looked almost as dismayed at the whole spectacle as Danyal did, but neither said anything. Instead, Danyal gave up trying to reason his point.

Not the regular dance – the dance of life, the rhythm of the Jungle, the heartbeat of time. The dance that made up the harmony and balance that was the world. And then, Danyal understood. It was no different to the supposed circle of life. Lukaan moved up to him, holding a chunk of meat in his paw which he had promised earlier. Now it was nighttime, but above a hundred billion stars lit up the sky. Perhaps they were the vestiges of the some long lost power. Perhaps they were the souls of departed. Perhaps they were simply lights in the sky. It didn't matter to Danyal now… They were just a fact of the universe. And another fact of the universe was the fact he was crippled. Wallowing in self pity would not help anyone – and in doing so, he had abandoned the principles that had led to his maiming in the first place.

_Sekmet… I hope you burn in seven hells for this! _Danyal thought bitterly. But Lukaan and Sundar were right_. _He was more than the strength of his claws and his ability to kill. He was so much more. And he had been blind not to see it in the first place.

**So how do you judge what a lion is worth**

**Throughout his lows and highs?**

**You can never see with your eyes on earth**

**Look through heaven's eyes**

**Look at your life**

**Look at your life**

**Look at your life through heaven's eyes!**

* * *

**AN:**

**As always, please, leave a review if you enjoyed it. The Song was called "Heaven's Eyes, from the DreamWorks animated musical, "The Prince Of Egypt". I felt the lyrics were poignant, and I hope you all enjoyed my reemergence onto the screen. The Faster I get my (undisclosed) amount of reviews, the faster I will update this story – So get to it, tell me what you think. Hopefully, Danyal should be climbing out of his depression a little…**

**The second creation myth is just another little way I am differentiating the two different Prides. Even so, I hope you enjoyed it!**


	13. Chapter 12 - Echos of Pain

**"Here we go. The character rotation is leading us into Kiava and Zuri. Please, if any of you feel as though one set of characters is not receiving enough attention, let me know, and I will try to rectify that.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Echoes of Pain**

* * *

_The Grass withered and faded beneath his foot step. Each step was slow, as bone and flesh knitted back together, only to break again when the decomposing material came into harsh contact with the ground, sending more of the echoes of pain through his bones. Echoes – not true pain. He had felt true pain, for half a dozen years in the void beyond the darkness. Tortured and mutilated. The pain he felt now, was a blessing compared to that._

_More grass withered under his feet. The life of the fragile blades of grass sucked into him by his very touch. For now, it was only a residual effect. Grass, nearby leaves, petals. Soon, his hunger would devour the very creatures he sought._

"Kiava… Spawn of Scar…"_ The creature muttered. Bane's thoughts her becoming more and more cloudy. Harder to discern. But one was prevalent above all others. Hatred. Hatred of the King who had cast him into the fire and of any who bore his blood._

_He could feel it. Perverting his own bloody stream. His own heart had stopped long ago, even now, the body he inhabited lacked that vital organ. His blood needed no pulse. His lungs needed no breath. He was stronger now than he had ever been in life._

_But that spattering of blood… Kiava's blood… still pulsed through his own veins and arteries and capillaries blood vessels. Through his muscles and organs, setting his skin aflame beneath the surface. When it reached his skull, or eyes, the pain was intense – comparable to the fury of the Shadow. But once it left… once it moved to another part of his rotting body… he found new resolve._

_And so he carried on… Walking… Stalking… Hunting… the grass turning to dust beneath his feet._

_Bane. Wilddog. Murderer. Accursed. Immortal. Undying._

_Perfected._

* * *

Kiava and Zuri followed Bruce, who lead the way. Ookai, as always sat on the Silver backed Gorilla's shoulder, chattering away as he did so. The Jungle had darkened to a point of near… well… darkness a awhile back, but now the foliage was beginning to open out, as more beams of sunlight eased through the thick green plant life. Bugs of various colours and descriptions fluttered around them, so cheerful in their disposition, that Kiava would not have eaten them in a hundred years, even they were the last foodstuff on earth. Now the more wriggly slimy variety was another matter entirely, and since large quantities of meat were out of the question, they frequently resorted to such extremes on their journey.

As Zuri was busy chomping down a centipede, Kiava finally decided to ask something that had been bothering him for a long while.

"Zuri?" He asked.

"Yes Kiava?"

"Have you ever wondered what we would be doing right now, If none of this had ever happened?" He asked her. Zuri glanced around, and aware that Ookai was chattering aimlessly at Bruce, and so unable to head anyone else, lowered her voice.

"What, you mean, if your dad was still King?" She asked. Kiava nodded.

"Yeah… You ever wondered… well… do you think we would all have been friends then?" He asked. Zuri frowned.

"What, you mean, if we hadn't been running for our lives, frightened of discovery and death at every corner? Sorry… been a little busy trying to stay alive for that…" She said. Kiava smiled.

"See! You wouldn't have made a joke like that before any of this happened!" He said. Zuri thought about it.

"I don't think things would have been that different for you. I mean, you were the Prince back at Pride Rock. I bet cubs would have been lining up to make friends with you, if things had gone that way…" She said. Kiava smiled sadley.

"Maybe… But what about the Twins? Would You, Sara, Inti and the others be even remotely interested in me, or would you just have been interested in getting to know T_he Prince?" _He asked.

"Kiava!" She said, annoyed. "That's a horrible thing to say! You make us sound like we are trying to curry failure." Kiava's eyes widened.

"No! That's not what I mean at all! You're not like that! But that's my point – me being Prince would never have interested you, so would you have ever played with me back at Pride Rock?" He asked. Zuri frowned, thinking it over. It was entirely possible that they would have, but there was that nagging feeling…

"I think… I don't know… Maybe not. I mean, you being a Prince now… well, no offense, but it's Kinda an empty Title at the moment. It doesn't seem so important now, know what I mean? We're too busy trying to survive to be bothered about things like that…" Zuri said. Kiava looked deflated, so Zuri walked next to him, rubbing herself against him, in a lion-cubs primitive hug.

"Though I think if I didn't I'd be making a mistake. Your Aunt used to tell stories about your mother – and Kiara's chief worry as a cub, was that people were only interested in the Princess side of her. Not about her, who she really was. I think… I think in leaving Pride Rock – In leaving the Pridelands, you've shown everyone the whole you. Not You the Prince, or the Lion, but just Kiava…" She said, her brow furrowed in concentration. Kiava looked at her.

"You get lines on your head when you do that, you know…" He observed. Zuri smirked.

"What, when I think? You should try it sometime, its great fun." She said, sarcastically. Kiava smiled, clearly cheered up.

"Me? Think? Thinking's for Lionesses! I don't need to think! I just do whatever comes naturally. It's called Animal Instinct." he boasted. Zuri smiled.

"Instinct? Your instinctively stupid? Wow! Imagine the depths of idiocy you could sink to if you tried!" She said, laughing. Kiava burst out laughing.

"You know, If I ever get my Kingdom back, you know what I will make you?" he asked her.

"The Princess?" Zuri guessed.

"The Jester!" Kiava said. Laughing some more. Zuri stuck out her tongue.

"Inti can be the Jester. I am too smart to be a fool!" She laughed.

"Alright, you can be my Advisor! The Wisest of Lionesses!" Kiava said. Zuri laughed again.

"Now that sounds more like it! You might just make a decent Prince after all!" She said.

"I'll be the best King the Land has _never_ had!" Kiava joked. Zuri feigned surprise.

"King? Now lets not get ahead of ourselves here! I said Prince, your nowhere near a King!" She said, and the pair descended into fits of laughter again.

Eventually, Kiava wiped a tear from his eye.

"We must be mad! We are running for our very lives from Wilddogs who can magically track us, into the unknown, trusting the word of a monkey Con Artist, and an idiot Gorilla! Yet we are sitting here giggling like a pair Hyenas!" Kiava said. Zuri smacked him on the back with a paw.

"Its not all that bad!" Said, then paused. "Hmmm… Actually, maybe it is. Is there time to chicken out yet? No? Oh well…"

"Think of it like this, Kiava. If you_ can_ think. If we spend each day, terrified out of our wits, we'll just spend them sleepless, dirty, hungry, and generally downhearted. Or we can spend them lighthearted, prepared for anything, and triumphantly in command." She said. Kiava smiled.

"But still dirty, hungry, sleepless and terrified out of our wits?" He said.

"Now your catching on!" Zuri smiled.

"Okay love birds" Ookai teased. "We're resting her for a while to find some grubs. I call first pick!" Ookai said. The cubs groaned. Ookai always took the bugs that tasted alright, and they seemed to be left with the foul tasting beetles Timon had always been fond of. Kiava surveyed the area.

"Hey, Mr Monkey – do you think we would go off a bit, to look for _different _grubs?" he asked. Ookai nodded.

"That's fine by me – I am your _employee,_ not your Dad. Just don't do anything stupid, okay?" he said. He turned back to his food. The two Cubs nodded, and left the clearing.

"Hmm. I'll take this side, if you take that one? Just remember to call if you find anything will you?" Kiava said. Zuri nodded.

"I promise."

Zuri went to the right, exploring the various bits of undergrowth, tentatively with a claw. Looking for something edible. The blue ones tended to have a sour taste, but they were more likely to be poisoned, and the purple ones seemed to give Kiava gas, so they were a definitely no no. Watching all the critter scuttle away suddenly made a single centipede of the walk feel woefully inadequate, and her own belly began to rumble.

_Of course, if we had stayed in the Pridelands, I would have started to eat grubs. _She thought to herself. That had been a weird conversation have with Kiava, but more and more recently, had had begun asking complicated questions to which he had no answer. They were the soft of things he would have been asking his Aunt, not his friends… Even so, it was fair enough to wonder. She herself often asked herself, why the other cubs had begun to speak to her so many months ago, fleeing Pride Rock. Was it simply because of a lack of other living cubs? She liked to think that the four of them (of Five including Danyal, which she did) would still have become the same firm friends they were now, without the daily risk of death, but she couldn't honestly say that was the case. She would rather never know. Who would want to be told that, in another life, she would never have got to know her three greatest friends? For Kiava it must have been even harder – as he had the burden of a Crown to consider. He paused to think on that as well. It must have been awesome to be a Prince back in the old days. Now it just seemed equivalent to painting oneself purple, running front of a set of starved Hyenas and yelling "Look at me! Free Lunch!" At the top of her voice. She wondered why so many people seemed to queue up for the job, when from what she had been able to see, being Royalty wasn't a particularly skillful career choice.

_Thisssss wayyyyyyyyyy…._

Now what was that? Was that Kiava again?

_Come Closssssssssssser…._

There is was again. It was a voice. She looked around anxiously. Perhaps it was Ookai? Not, it didn't sound like a Monkey…

_Come her lionessssssssssss…._

She turned, staring instantly into a pair of deep yellow eyes. She instantly felt a stab of fear, as she gazed at the serpent. Then it seemed to melt away. Why had she been worried? There was no problem… It was just a silly snake. A silly snake, swaying in the air in front of her.

_Come… Resssssssssst…_

That was a good idea! She was very tired after walking such a long diatnce, of course she was. She deserved to catch a few minutes of sleep.

_Go to sleeeeeeeeeeeep….._

Even still the serpent swayed in the air. Left and right… To and fro… Gently. Its eyes still stared at her, piercing, but rather than be afraid, she just felt herself disappear into them, losing herself into the cool yellow depths…

_Gooodnight…_

She began to close her eyes.

ZURI!

A Voice shouted.

**ZURI!**

And the spell was broken. The fear returned like a blast of cold water. Her throat constricted and her eyes widened. She leapt away as fast as she could, but instead of striking her, the snake whirled around angrily, tongue flickering.

_What is thisssssssss? _It hissed. Kiava jumped towards it, fear in his eyes, but not for his own sake.

_Kiava!_

The Snake struck. Its fangs pierced his shoulder.

Kiava stumbled, numbness seeping into his bones, as venom poured into his blood.

The snake struck again and Kiava fell to his knees, his eyes open, staring in shock.

_No…_

The snake bit down a final time.

Then Kiava moved.

Like a lightning bolt, his claw lashed out, seized the snake by head. The Snakes eyes widened in horror for the briefest of moments.

The Kiava's paw closed into a fist. With a short _snap _and a _pop_ the snake writhed for a moment, and then stopped moving all together.

"Kiava!" Zuri shrieked, rushing towards him. Kiava released the dead snake, his paw dripping in blood. Cold. Then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, as voices echoed around him. He didn't feel the ground as he crashed into it.

* * *

_Kiava opened his eyes, to an alien world._

_Strange colours flashed across his vision. The vibrant jungle exploding with light, as each plant, worm, bug, leaf, all alive and shining with sparks of life. And as he passed, the light died, sucked into the invisible void within him._

_He realized he was Hungry. So very hungry. A ravenous hungry tore through his stomach, raging like a firestorm. He hurt as well. Pain lashed through him with every step, but it didn't bother him – he scarcely noticed it. Oh, he remembered the pain occasionally, when he bothered to. The flesh hung from his skin in tatters in places. An entire forelimb was nothing but exposed bone, and half of his skull had been crushed under the rockfall from Vitani's attack. He had survived though… In a manner of speaking. One of his eyes was forced open, unblinking. Both shone purple, yellowed with age. Old senses, such as scent and taste were rendered useless by the smell and taste of his own decay – but that didn't matter. Not anymore. He knew where his quarry was. He felt the alien blood within him strain and pull to rejoin its sources, almost dragging him in the right direction._

_Towards Kiava. Towards himself._

_Bane licked his lips._

_Kiava screamed._

_But Bane continued heedless of Kiava's distress._

_The air around them was familiar to him. Kiava had been here recently. A strange smell was in the air. Feline and fetid. It both disgusted him and thrilled him in equal measure, the thrill of the hunt building up inside him. Then a low growl alerted him to the presence of another creature._

"Who are you?"_ The voice asked in horror. And Kiava realized with dread that even looking through the eyes of this fearsome predator, he recognized the voice. It was the voice of the male leopard, who had offered him sanctuary. Kiava had refused, on the grounds that he may yet lead destruction to his den – and it seemed he had been proven right._

_Bane was hungry, still. He longed to finish his hunt, but now the hunger was devouring him from the inside. Bane's eyes widened, and the leopard took a cautious step back._

"**What** are you?"_ It asked, fearful of Bane's horrific appearance. Once, Bane would have graced the feline with an answer, but no more. Now he only cared about satisfying his hunger. Bane leapt forward towards the Leopard, who with a growl raised a clawed paw to defend himself. His swipes ripped into flesh, but it made no difference to Bane, who tore into his flank with vicious bites. the Leopard screamed, and his mate came running, bursting from the undergrowth to aide her mate at the sound of his fear._

_"NO!" Kiava wanted to shout. _"RUN AWAY!"

_He could see inside the mind if Bane, he knew what happened next. Bane grinned and then gave a guttural growl that shook the ground. A sound like a wooshing of air, a terrible burning wind was heard, sucking through the clearing into Bane's open maw which detached from his jaw, expanding to unnatural length._

_The Leopard gasped in agony as his skin was ripped from his body, and his bones turned to ash. To Bane's distorted vision, the light of his life flickered and was sucked into the void of the dark tempest that now occupied where once a soul lingered. In an instant, the leopard had disintegrated into dust, blown on hellish winds and devoured into Bane._

_The Wilddog smiled at his prey's consciousness struggled momentarily, a single cry of anquish and loss, and then was gone, drowned in the pool of darkness with Bane._

_The Leopardess gasped for a moment, unable to take in what she had seen. Bane slowed, forcing his hunger down, just to give her a moment to comprehend the death of her mate. Then he felt the fear from her, the pain and the grief and the loss and the soul consuming fear of death. He smiled._

_The he growled again. Another earth shattering shout._

_Then there was silence. The ravenous hunger receded. For now._

* * *

Zuri was lying beside Kiava's motionless body. She was crying. Ookai stood nearby, completely out of his depth, and Bruce watched the two of them, concerned, but waiting for one of them to make some plan of action, or else in some way solve the problem.

"You didn't see what species it was?" Ookai asked for the eleventh time. Zuri shook her head.

"It's still fuzzy. The Snake's eyes... I couldn't focus... it made me very sleepy. I don't remember what it was like – I just know that Kiava noticed in time, and... and it bit him!" Zuri said, anxiously, tears welling up again.

"Hypnosis? That's... unusual for a snake." He said, sounding worried.

"You've seen them before?" Bruce asked.

"Yes – though not in a while... they like to stay in the hot sands of the southern and eastern deserts... the Jungle is no place for one of those things... I wonder what lead it here." Ookai asked, sounding worried. Then he stopped.

"There are berries which produce a juice that counteracts the toxins... Some of them might grow naturally around here. It should help him recover." he said, and began to give Bruce instruction, who rushed to find them given

"He'll be alright, won't he?" Zuri asked. Ookai stopped short.

"If he wakes up in the next few hours, he should recover... if he doesn't, then he'll slip away from us..." Ookai told her honestly. Zuri pressed her paw over Kiava's.

"Kiava please wake up... stop being so selfish and wake up!" She begged. When Bruce returned, Ookai mashed the berries into a paste and forced it down Kiava's throat. Kiava gagged and then went still.

"I am no Shaman... Its all I can do. Now we wait..." He said.

Hours later, Kiava's eyes slowly opened.

"Kiava!" Zuri explained joyfully. Ookai gave a sigh of relief.

"Your alive!" She said. Kiava shook however, and instantly jerked to the side, vomiting up the contents of his stomach. He coughed wildly.

"Is that those berries?" Bruce asked Ookai, who shook his head.

"No. You alright kid?" He asked. Kiava slowly nodded.

"It's not berries... I saw... I saw him... The creature who lead the Wilddogs... back then I _was_ him..."

"Kiava your not making any sense! You've just been through an ordeal – I understand. You need to rest." Ookai said, but Kiava was on his feet.

"No... We can't rest. We have to move... He is still following me. ARGH!" He shouted, gasping his side. Zuri moved instantly, but Ookai had already seen it.

"Holy mother of Peaches..." Ookai exclaimed. Kiava injury had burst open again, and blood was already flowing down his side, mingling with that of the snake, and glowing with a lustful red once more. Then it pulsed and stopped.

"What happened?" Zuri asked. Kiava hesitated, closing his eyes and shuddering at the memory. he knew that it would haunt his dreams for months to come, but for now, he had no time to be paralyzed by fear. Speed was essential.

"He's feeding again... He'll be distracted for now. We should move." Kiava said.

"Feeding? Who's feeding?" Zuri asked.

"His name is Bane." Kiava told her. That he had managed to pick up from those brief moments of sharing a conscious with that thing.

"How do you know that?" Ookai asked. Kiava paused.

"Because I saw inside his mind when I lost consciousness. He is hunting us still, and we need to keep moving." Kiava said.

"Hunting you? Now wait just a minute -" Ookai spluttered.

"We doesn't know exactly where we are, but he's linked to me somehow – that's how he is aware of me, and why I am aware of him..."

"Kiava – hang on a moment -" Ookai said again.

"I just saw him butcher those two Leopards we ran into a while back. He sucked the life out of them. We can't stay here.

"Sucked the life! Butchered!" Ookai jumped in front of him.

"NOW HOLD UP! STOP!" Ookai protested.

"Why am I getting the feeling that you haven't been _entirely_ truthful with me?" Ookai asked, scowling.

"What haven't you told me?"

* * *

**AN:**

**An emotional and traumatic experience for Kiava – but, at least he survived. He seems to have drawn closer to Zuri as well – I hope this chapter did something for you guys who are still sceptical on the Kiava front... It is important to me that you like all of the characters, and that all of them get enough screen time. Ookai is about to find out some uncomfortable truths he will wish he hadn't asked, and Bane's sucking of life is essential for him to continue his pitiful existence, which is somewhat modelled on The Mummy. I saw those movies a while ago, and decided to throw it in for lols. Turns it improves Bane significantly.**

**As always, direct any questions to me, and I will try to answer them.**

**This is Haradion, have a nice day.**


End file.
